A 36-year-old former Hempstead man was sentenced to 21 years in prison for a five-year crime spree involving home invasions, drug dealing and a deadly DWI crash. Elvin Maradiaga Ortiz was driving drunk when he crashed in Uniondale in February 2024, killing his friend, 35-year-old Alex Banegas Figueroa, prosecutors said. Investigators used Ortiz's GPS ankle monitor and DNA evidence to connect him to multiple crimes across Nassau County. His sentence was increased from an agreed-upon 19 years after he threatened a witness while in custody. Read more at the link in bio. (Photo Credit: Rick Kopstein) - - #longisland #longislandny