Man arrested for trespassing in Sean Hannity’s home, court papers say

A former dentist has been arrested and charged with trespassing after authorities said he walked uninvited into the Centre Island home of Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity.

Jan W. Gilbert, 72, of Franklin Boulevard in Long Beach, was charged with misdemeanor second-degree criminal trespass, following the incident at Hannity’s mansion on Centre Island Road, according to court documents.

Centre Island Police responded to a 911 call at 2:55 p.m. on Feb. 17, according to court documents, and a witness said he noticed a blue Infiniti outside the gate of Hannity’s home as he drove onto the driveway.

“The driver introduced himself to [the witness] as Dr. Gilbert, said that he was writing a book about Sean Hannity and needed to give some papers to him,” the court papers said, indicating Gilbert then followed the witness into Hannity’s house.

Hannity’s wife, Jill, was inside at the time, saw Gilbert and told police “he did not have permission to enter the house,” the court papers said. Jill Hannity, according to the court papers, saw Gilbert leave and get into the blue Infiniti.

That’s when police found Gilbert in the driver’s seat of the Infiniti.

“Do you know Sean Hannity?” Gilbert asked police, according to court documents. “I was coming from his house. I need to talk to Sean and give him information.”

The Centre Island police arrested Gilbert at 3:20 p.m., according to court documents.

Attempts Wednesday to reach Hannity and his wife were unsuccessful.

Gilbert, reached on his cellphone Wednesday, disputed the police account. He denied a request to put Newsday in touch with his attorney.

“There is a real reason, a valid reason, a superior reason and a fully confirmed reason, but I’m not going to be able to talk about it,” said Gilbert. “Someone misheard, fabricated or misunderstood.”

Gilbert, who was represented by a Legal Aid Society attorney, was conditionally released to probation after his Feb. 18 arraignment before Judge David Goodsell in First District Court in Hempstead. Goodsell issued three stay-away orders of protection.

Hannity, 56, reportedly a confidant of President Donald Trump, grew up in Franklin Square and hosts “Hannity” on Fox’s prime-time lineup. His 10,000-square foot home sits on 6.22 acres and has seven bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms, according to real estate website Zillow.