18 Years For Long Island Man Who Strangled, Raped Estranged Wife Over 3 Hours

RIVERSIDE, NY — A Farmingville man was sentenced to 18 years in prison and 18 years of post-release supervision on Monday in connection with raping and strangling his estranged wife over a three hours, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

The name of the man was not released to protect the identity of the victim.

“This survivor showed tremendous courage in coming forward to hold the defendant accountable for his vile acts,” Tierney said, adding that his office "always puts survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault first."

He is encouraging anyone who has been victimized to report thee crimes to the police or his office.

The defendant's attorney, Christopher Gioe of Hauppauge, declined comment.

The man and the woman were going through a divorce but living together in separate areas of the marital home, and the woman was toweling off in a bathroom after a shower one early morning in November 2022, when the man broke down the bathroom door and began to attack her, prosecutors said.

He dragged her from the bathroom into his bedroom, and then strangled her until she lost consciousness, and when she woke up, the man was beating and violently sexually assaulting her, prosecutors said, adding that she tried to escape, but the man chased and continued to beat her, and then strangled her until she lost consciousness again.

The defendant continued to beat and sexually assault the woman over three hours, forcing her to shower before planning his escape, prosecutors said.

He hid the woman’s phone in the house to prevent her from calling the police and left apology notes for their two children, who weren’t home at the time, on their beds, according to prosecutors.

Once the man fled, the woman was able to find a phone and call for help, prosecutors said, adding that while she was taken to the hospital for a sexual assault forensic examination and treatment for her injuries, the police used K-9 and aviation units to help find the man.

The man was found an hour away by Southampton Town police officers in Sagaponack where he had driven his truck onto the beach, prosecutors said.

He resisted arrest and fought with one of the officers in an attempt to gain control of the officer’s gun, but three officers were able to handcuff him and take him into custody, according to prosecutors.

The investigation later revealed that parts of the attack on the man's wife had been caught on video surveillance inside the home, prosecutors said.

In September, the man pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two counts first-degree rape, five counts of first-degree criminal sexual act, and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse, as well as two counts of second-degree strangulation.

He additionally pleaded guilty to one count each of fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree unlawful imprisonment, and third-degree assault, as well as resisting arrest. Other charges also included two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of first-degree harassment.