Self-proclaimed “Prince of Montauk” Dylan Eckardt was arrested by East Hampton Town Police on Monday and charged with DWI involving drugs, as well as multiple traffic violations.East Hampton Town Police Captain Chris Anderson said Mr. Eckardt, 37, was pulled over on South Etna Avenue in Montauk at 4:20 p.m. for the traffic violations, and was found to be under the influence of a controlled substance. Police would not say what the substance was, but they noted that he exhibited visible signs of being under the influence. He refused all drug tests.According to one eyewitness, he was pulled over in his SUV by three police vehicles.Mr. Eckardt was arraigned at the East Hampton Town Justice Court on Tuesday morning, where he pleaded not guilty to a count of driving while under the influence of drugs. He was released from custody after posting $1,000 bail.The high-end real estate agent and Montauk native recently attained celebrity status after he was profiled in Vanity Fair magazine this month. In the interview, he conceded to texting while driving and bragged about racking up seven tickets in the last two months.“All the cops know who I am,” he told the Vanity Fair reporter. “No one is going to say shit to me.”Mr. Eckardt is reportedly responsible for an abundance of high-profile real estate deals in the past year, including the sale of Trail’s End, a restaurant in Montauk. However, his comments in publications like Vanity Fair have left many Montauk natives shaking their heads.“I dress like a fashion kid from the city, I talk like an asshole, and I surf like a local,” he told Vanity Fair. “I’m the f-----g rock star of real estate. I’m the f-----g prince of Montauk.”
Jaime Zahl on Jun 21, 2016