The owner of Calverton farmland is facing felony sex charges brought by N.Y. State Police investigators.
Steven Mezynieski, 44, of Orient has been charged with first-degree rape and criminal sex act in the first degree, N.Y. State Police announced today.
The charges are related to the defendant having sexual relations with a female victim over the course of about three years, which started when the victim was under the age of consent, police said.
Mezynieski is the owner of Driftwood Family Farms LLC, which operates a 140-acre farm in Orient and owns 46 acres of farmland in Calverton. Mezynieski also owns and operates a Southampton-based excavation business and sells sand, mulch and materials. After purchasing the Calverton site in 2012, he unsuccessfully sought permission from Riverhead Town to remove 415,000 cubic yards of sand from the site, which he said was necessary for agricultural production.
The criminal investigation was conducted by members of the State Police Troop L Major Crimes Unit. The State Police ask that any other possible victims contact them at (631)756-3300. All calls will remain confidential, police said.
Mr. Mezynieski was arraigned in the Town of Southold Court and released on $25,000 bail, according to the police report.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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