The Manhattan real estate developer who allegedly dumped his friend's body on the side of a Sag Harbor road before drunkenly driving away—and then tried to skip bail by sailing away to Puerto Rico—was deemed a serious flight risk at his bail hearing today, where he also had his incriminating Google search history laid bare.
As 27east reports, Sean Ludwick's lawyer attempted to argue that his client had purchased the 50-foot sailboat to use with his children, because sailing was on his "wishlist" of family activities to do before potentially going to prison for 32 years. John Scott Prudenti, who is chief of the vehicular crimes bureau at the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, refuted that claim, and then proceeded to read out a laundry list of searches that Ludwick made from his phone immediately following his arraignment on January 4th. The highlights include:
- "10 secrets to being a good liar"
- "Percentage of bail jumpers caught"
- "Does Venezuela extradite to the U.S.?"
- "Can I leave on a cruise with an arrest warrant?"
- "5 countries with no extradition"
- "Why do fugitives get caught"
- "How do fugitives escape"
- "Seeking citizenship in Venezuela"
Ludwick, 43, was first arrested back in August, when he allegedly drunkenly crashed his Porsche into a utility pole in the Hamptons, a collision that killed his passenger, Paul Hansen, 53. Prosecutors say he then proceeded to drag Hansen's body out of the car and throw his possessions in the woods, before driving further down the road, where he was apprehended by police. The East Hampton Star notes that the Suffolk County DA's office has not ruled out the possibility that Hansen was indeed still alive when Ludwick abandoned him on the roadside. Hansen left behind a wife and two sons.
Ludwick pleaded not guilty to DWI, aggravated vehicular homicide, and multiple other charges earlier this month, and was out on $1 million bail before he was arrested again last week for attempting to escape the country.
His bail hearing revealed some new details about that arrest: he apparently wired $380,000 in cash to Puerto Rico and was planning to return there on January 21st to collect the boat. He'd traveled there earlier in the month on vacation, where he asked the concierge at his five-star hotel to hook him up with some sailing lessons. As it turned out, his sailing instructor was an FBI agent, who wound up working undercover to help facilitate Ludwick's arrest.
Ludwick will now be held in jail with no hope of bail, though State Supreme Court Justice Fernando Camacho said at the hearing that he will exonerate the $1 million bail that was posted.
"When I set bail at $1 million, I never contemplated the possibilities heard here today,” Camacho said Tuesday. “There is no bail package to ensure his return to court.”
