Man Found In Hamptons After 'Violent Sexual Assault' Sentenced: DA

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — A Farmingville man was sentenced to 18 years in prison after raping, beating and strangling his estranged wife, then fleeing to a Sagaponack beach where he tried to wrest a gun from a police officer in 2022, authorities said.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's office is not naming the man in order to protect the identity of the sexual assault victim.

As established by the investigation and guilty plea allocution, on November 13, 2022, the man and the woman were going through a divorce but living together in separate areas of the marital home, TIerney said.

At about 6 a.m., the woman was toweling off in the bathroom after a shower, when the man broke down the bathroom door and began to attack her, dragging her from the bathroom into his bedroom, and then strangling her until she lost consciousness, Tierney said.

When the woman woke up, he was beating and violently sexually assaulting her, the DA said. She tried to escape, but he chased and continued to beat her, and then strangled her until she lost consciousness again, the DA said. He continued to beat and sexually assault the woman over a period of three hours, forcing her to shower before planning his escape, Tierney 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, the DA said.

Once the man fled, the woman was able to find a phone and call for help; while she was transported to the hospital for a sexual assault forensic examination and treatment for her injuries, the police utilized K-9 and aviation units to assist with locating the man, Tierney said.

He was found in Sagaponack by Southampton Town Police Department officers, where he had driven his truck onto the beach, Tierney said.

He resisted arrest and fought with one of the officers in an attempt to gain control of the officer’s gun, the DA said. Three officers were able to handcuff the man and take him into custody, the DA said.

The investigation later revealed that parts of the attack on his estranged wife had been caught on video surveillance inside the home, the DA said.

On September 25, he pleaded guilty to the following charges before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis, Tierney said:

- Two counts of first-degree rape, Class B felonies;

- Five counts of first-degree criminal sexual act, Class B felonies;

- Three counts of first-degree sexual abuse, Class D felonies;

- Two counts of second-degree strangulation, Class D felonies;

- One count of fourth-degree grand larceny, a Class E felony;

- One count of second-degree unlawful imprisonment, a Class A misdemeanor;

- One count of third-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor;

- One count of resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor;

- Two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, Class A misdemeanors; and

- One count of first=degree harassment, a Class B misdemeanor.

On Monday, Justice Wilutis sentenced the man to 18 years in prison followed by 18 years of post-release supervision, the DA said. He was represented by Christopher Gioe, Esq.

"This survivor showed tremendous courage in coming forward to hold the defendant accountable for his vile acts," Tierney said. "My office always puts survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault first, and we encourage anyone who has been victimized to report these crimes to the Suffolk County Police Department or to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office."