(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that a 48-year-old Farmingville man[1] was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty in September 2024 to rape, strangulation, and other related charges, after sexually assaulting his estranged wife during a three-hour period in November 2022.
“This survivor showed tremendous courage in coming forward to hold the defendant accountable for his vile acts,” said District Attorney Tierney. “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.”
As established by the investigation and guilty plea allocution, on November 13, 2022, the defendant and the victim were going through a divorce but living together in separate areas of the marital home. At approximately 6:00 a.m., the victim was toweling off in the bathroom after a shower. The defendant broke down the bathroom door and began to attack the victim, dragging her from the bathroom into his bedroom, and then strangled her until she lost consciousness. When the victim woke up, the defendant was beating and violently sexually assaulting her. The victim tried to escape, but the defendant chased and continued to beat her, and then strangled her until she lost consciousness again. The defendant continued to beat and sexually assault the victim over a period of three hours, forcing her to shower before planning his escape. He hid the victim’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.
Once the defendant fled, the victim 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 defendant. The defendant was found in Sagaponack by Southampton Town Police Department officers, where he had driven his truck onto the beach. He resisted arrest and fought with one of the officers in an attempt to gain control of the officer’s gun. Three officers were able to handcuff the defendant and take him into custody. The investigation later revealed that parts of the attack on the defendant’s wife had been caught on video surveillance inside the home.
On September 25, 2024, the defendant pleaded guilty to the following charges before Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen M. Wilutis:
- Two counts Rape in the First Degree, Class B felonies;
- Five counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, Class B felonies;
- Three counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, Class D felonies;
- Two counts of Strangulation in the Second Degree, Class D felonies;
- One count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a Class E felony;
- One count of Unlawful Imprisonment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor;
- One count of Assault in the Third Degree, 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 Harassment in the First Degree, a Class B misdemeanor.
On November 18, 2024, Justice Wilutis sentenced the defendant to 18 years in prison followed by 18 years of post-release supervision. He was represented by Christopher Gioe, Esq.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Tara Laterza and Johanna Poremba of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Simon Jachowdik of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Sixth Squad.
