A Hempstead man has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for a series of crimes that included a fatal drunken driving crash in Uniondale, burglaries, robberies and drug sales, Nassau County prosecutors announced Oct. 13.
Elvin Maradiaga Ortiz, 35, received the sentence for crimes that included a February 2024 crash that ultimately claimed the life of his passenger, 35-year-old Alex Banegas Figueroa.
According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Ortiz was driving a Jeep on Jerusalem Avenue in Uniondale when he crashed and fled the scene, leaving Figueroa unconscious inside the vehicle.
Figueroa died March 1, 2024.
Investigators subsequently connected Ortiz to several earlier burglaries and robberies using DNA evidence and GPS records.
The crimes involved locations in Hempstead, Uniondale, Elmont, Floral Park and West Hempstead.
Ortiz was also sentenced in connection with drug sales.
On Oct. 13, Ortiz pleaded guilty to third-degree witness intimidation. Prosecutors said the additional conviction added two years to his prison sentence, bringing the total to 21 years.
The sentencing concludes a prosecution involving multiple crimes, including the fatal crash, burglaries, robberies, drug sales and witness intimidation.
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