Prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against Sean Paul Reyes, a YouTuber known as The Long Island Auditor, who was arrested in June for allegedly trespassing at the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) headquarters. The misdemeanor trespassing charge was downgraded to a violation, with his attorney stating that video evidence undermined the initial claims made by law enforcement.
Reyes appeared in court wearing a t-shirt that read "resist tyranny." His attorney, Jacob Uriel, asserted that the available video footage made the original charges untenable. "Having watched the video, I knew that these charges were more than a stretch," Uriel told The Post.
Reyes is recognized for creating videos where he visits public buildings and "audits the First Amendment," a practice that involves testing officials' responses to his presence. The Suffolk County District Attorney's office offered the downgraded charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 days in jail.
According to the initial complaint, PBA President Lou Civello accused Reyes of ignoring multiple directives to leave the property and making a threat, stating, "I am going to go to your house." However, the amended complaint, which Uriel cited as a factor in the charge reduction, no longer includes the alleged threats. The original complaint had also incorrectly described the area as fenced, a detail omitted in the revised filing.
The new filing states that after being told to leave, Reyes "engaged in conversation to prolong his trespassing rather than vacate the premises as repeatedly directed," while walking backward toward his truck. Reyes has pleaded not guilty to the violation and denied making any threats.
Uriel also claimed that Reyes sustained a pinched nerve in his hand due to excessively tight handcuffing by the PBA president, necessitating medical attention. Reyes has over 1.03 million subscribers on YouTube.
Civello, who had posted video of the incident, reported receiving death threats from some of Reyes' followers, which he stated were under investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department. Reyes has disavowed any followers who may have intimidated Civello.