What Happened
A Nassau County judge remanded Oceanside resident Diana Kutateladze, 36, into custody after prosecutors revealed she had been indicted in Louisiana on federal bribery charges, sinking the bail she had been granted in connection with a deadly March wrong-way DWI crash on the Southern State Parkway, according to Greater Long Island.
Justice Howard Sturim presided over the bail revocation hearing. Kutateladze — who has been in a wheelchair since the March 15 crash — was remanded into custody after Nassau prosecutor Michael Bushwack argued she was “an absolute, significant flight risk,” as Newsday reported. Her attorney, Sara Pervez, offered to surrender Kutateladze’s passport along with those of her mother and children, but the judge was unpersuaded.
The federal indictment, unsealed July 15 and originating in Louisiana, alleges that Kutateladze — who also goes by Diana Tambieva — offered an unnamed public official Patron Silver tequila and a $100 gift card on January 11, 2024, in an attempt to secure the release of an ICE detainee. According to Greater Long Island, which cited federal prosecutors via Newsday, she then followed up with offers of $1,000 and later $2,000 in online payments. The unnamed official reported the contact to supervisors, triggering a federal investigation. Kutateladze has not yet entered a plea in the federal case.
The bribery indictment compounds the legal peril already facing Kutateladze from a 23-count Nassau County indictment. Prosecutors allege she was driving her Cadillac Escalade at more than 81 mph with a blood alcohol content of 0.15% — nearly double New York’s legal limit of 0.08% — on the Southern State Parkway on March 15 when she sideswiped another vehicle, crossed the median, and struck a Toyota Highlander head-on.
The Highlander was carrying Bishop Donald Maxwell, 82, and his wife, Rev. Liscent Maxwell, 88, the leaders of the Pentecostal City Mission Church in Far Rockaway. Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly has said Liscent Maxwell was decapitated in the collision and that her husband was “completely crushed.” The couple’s driver and Kutateladze’s husband were also seriously injured and hospitalized for weeks. Kutateladze faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on the vehicular homicide charges. Her next court date is Monday.
Location & Road Context
The fatal crash occurred on the Southern State Parkway, one of Long Island’s most heavily traveled east-west corridors. The parkway has been the scene of multiple serious crashes in recent years; Long Island Traffic has previously covered a series of DWI-related incidents in and around Oceanside as recently as June 2026. Wrong-way driving events on divided parkways like the Southern State frequently result in catastrophic head-on collisions, as the March 15 crash tragically demonstrated.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The Nassau County case has been active since the March 15 crash, with Kutateladze facing a 23-count indictment. The Louisiana federal bribery case — with an indictment unsealed July 15 — introduced the new flight-risk calculus that led Justice Sturim to revoke bail entirely. Kutateladze has not yet entered a plea on the federal charges. Nassau prosecutors, led by Michael Bushwack, presented the federal indictment as evidence that Kutateladze posed too serious a flight risk to remain free, per the Greater Long Island report. Her next Nassau court date is Monday.
What This DWI Charge Means
Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law §1192, driving while impaired by alcohol (DWAI) applies when a driver’s ability is impaired — even below the 0.08% threshold. A full DWI charge applies at a BAC of 0.08% or higher. Aggravated DWI kicks in at 0.18% BAC or above. Kutateladze’s alleged BAC of 0.15% falls squarely in the standard DWI range, though prosecutors may argue additional aggravating factors given the speed and fatal outcome. A first-offense DWI in New York carries fines up to $1,000, a mandatory minimum six-month license revocation, possible jail time up to one year, and mandatory ignition interlock device installation upon license restoration.
When a DWI results in death, however, the charges escalate dramatically. Vehicular manslaughter in the second degree (a Class D felony) applies when a DWI driver causes a fatality; first-degree vehicular manslaughter (a Class C felony) applies when the driver has a prior DWI conviction or a BAC of 0.18% or above. Aggravated vehicular homicide — a Class B felony — can apply when reckless driving and DWI combine to kill more than one person. Conviction on the most serious vehicular homicide charges carries a sentence of up to 25 years in state prison, which is precisely the exposure Kutateladze now faces.
Drivers should also know that refusing a chemical test (breathalyzer or blood test) in New York carries automatic consequences under the state’s implied consent law: an immediate one-year license revocation and a $500 civil penalty, regardless of whether the driver is ultimately convicted. A second refusal within five years costs $750 and results in an 18-month revocation.
Case Status & Updates
It is important to note that the charges against Diana Kutateladze — both the Nassau County 23-count indictment and the Louisiana federal bribery indictment — are accusations. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The Nassau case is proceeding through Nassau County criminal court, with a hearing scheduled for Monday. The federal bribery case remains in its early stages, with no plea yet entered.
Long Island Traffic tracks DWI and criminal cases through the courts and will update this report with arraignment outcomes, additional hearings, any plea agreements, and sentencing results as they become part of the public record. Check back for the latest on this case.