More Charges For Alleged Drug Dealer

An alleged East Hampton drug dealer spent a week behind bars, unable to post the $50,000 bail or $100,000 bond alternative set for him in county court July 8.

Bernard Kulick, 28, has a history of drug-related arrests, the most serious happening last December in Sag Harbor Village, where, after a traffic stop, police said they found significant quantities of both heroin and an opioid, hydrocodone, as well as more than 14 ounces of marijuana. After Kulick spent a couple of weeks in county jail, the felony charges were moved from Sag Harbor Village to the Riverside county courtroom of Justice William Condon. The charges include six felonies, the most serious being B felony counts of possession of a narcotic and possession of a narcotic with intent to sell.

In early February of this year, Condon agreed to let Kulick enter a drug treatment program, preparatory to entering into a plea bargain deal. Kulick has had several court sessions since in front of Condon, as he monitored the defendant’s progress. July 8 was supposed to be another one of those conference dates.

But, on the afternoon of July 5, on Old Stone Highway in Amagansett, Kulick, driving a 2004 GMC, was pulled over. According to the East Hampton Town police, Kulick’s driver’s license was suspended and revoked for, respectively, failing to pay a fine, and allowing the insurance on a vehicle to lapse. After Kulick was placed under arrest on a misdemeanor unlicensed driving charge, police searched his vehicle, alleging that they found four small packets of heroin, along with a small amount of cocaine. That led to two new misdemeanor possession charges.

Kulick was released from headquarters a little before midnight after posting $1500 bail, with an appearance ticket to be arraigned in East Hampton Town Justice Court August 1. Between those two dates, however, was Kulick’s July 8 appearance before Condon.

When Condon learned of the latest arrest, he revisited bail, raising it from the $1000 Kulick had posted in February, to $50,000.

Kulick was first arrested on felony drug charges when he was 17. His case was eventually adjudicated through the youthful offender program, and the file was permanently sealed. He was arrested by East Hampton Town police in August 2017, and eventually convicted of misdemeanor drug possession.

A codefendant from the December 2018 arrest, Veronica Zill, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a B felony, criminal possession of a dangerous narcotic. She is awaiting sentencing.

Kulick was released on $100,000 bond July 15, and is due back in Condon’s courtroom August 13. He is to be arraigned on the East Hampton charges August 1.

t.e@indyeastend.com