Alton Harrell, of Bellport, is third defendant charged in East Patchogue's missing girl case

Suffolk police have arrested a Bellport man and charged him with rape and kidnapping in connection with the 25-day disappearance of a 14-year-old East Patchogue girl, court records show.
Alton Harrell, 35, is alleged to have picked the teen up about 5 p.m. on Dec. 9, when police and prosecutors say he took her to a house on Doane Avenue in Bellport and had sex with her over the next 24 hours.
"Judge, the allegations are such that [Harrell] did pick up the minor complainant on Dec. 9 and brought her to an abandoned house in Bellport where he subjected the 14-year-old female to sexual intercourse while she was held in the abandoned house between Dec. 9 and 10, a place not likely to be found and her parents did not give her permission to be with the defendant nor know where she was," Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney Cory Neunzig told District Court Judge Steven Weissbard at Harrell’s arraignment Jan. 18, according to a transcript of the proceeding obtained by Newsday.
Harrell, who court records show lives in a different house on Doane Avenue, is alleged to have parted ways with the girl at about 5 p.m. on Dec. 10, according to a criminal complaint, which also charges him with endangering the welfare of a child.
He is the third person charged with raping the teen during her widely publicized disappearance, which ended with her being found on a boat docked in Islip Jan. 3, court records show. Newsday is not identifying the girl because she is the alleged victim of a crime and she is a minor.
Harrell’s court-appointed attorney, Jeremy Scileppi, of Commack, denied the charges, saying his client, who Neunzig described as an "acquaintance" of the teen, has cooperated with Suffolk police detectives since they first questioned him Dec. 15, according to the arraignment transcript.
"I don’t think the kidnapping case stands on all four legs," Scileppi told Weissbard, according to the transcript.
The house on Doane Avenue is owned by Oscar Realty LLC, according to Brookhaven Town property tax records. Attorneys with Gianfortune & Mionis, a Mineola law firm associated with Oscar Realty on both town and state records, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Suffolk police detective said Harrell’s arrest was based on a sworn written statement the teen gave police Jan. 3, which court records indicate was seven pages long, and statements Harrell made to police on Jan. 17, the day he was charged, according to the criminal complaint.
While prosecutors had requested bail at $1 million cash or $5 million bond, Scileppi argued for considerably less bail.
"He was not involved with anything about this person after the day that indicates he gave her a ride," Scileppi told the judge.
Weissbard set bail at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond, noting that Harrell, who entered a general denial to the felony charges, faces between 5 and 25 years behind bars if convicted, according to the transcript. Court records show he remains in custody.
Scileppi declined additional comment about the case, in which Harrell is the second person charged with kidnapping.
Francis Buckheit, 64, of East Islip, was charged with kidnapping, rape and endangering the welfare of a child after the teen was found under netting covering the hull of his 56-foot boat as it was docked at White Cap Marina Jan. 3, court records show. Prosecutors have alleged he held the teen there for three weeks beginning Dec. 13 and that he intended to take her "to the Carolinas" by boat. Buckheit, who has pleaded not guilty, was remanded to the county jail without bail.
Bunice Knight, 47, of Copiague, was also charged with rape at an arraignment Jan. 14, court records show. Prosecutors allege he had sex with the 14-year-old inside his house on Jervis Avenue Jan. 2, hours before she was found. Court records show Knight, who also pleaded not guilty, has been released on a $100,000 bond.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has declined to discuss the individual cases, saying investigators are looking into the "circumstances behind how she went missing and the responsible parties" and presenting those facts to a grand jury. Court records indicate Harrell’s case was presented to the grand jury Wednesday.
No grand jury indictments have been unsealed in the cases. Attorneys for the defendants have said no date has been set yet for arraignments.
Suffolk police have arrested a Bellport man and charged him with rape and kidnapping in connection with the 25-day disappearance of a 14-year-old East Patchogue girl, court records show.
Alton Harrell, 35, is alleged to have picked the teen up about 5 p.m. on Dec. 9, when police and prosecutors say he took her to a house on Doane Avenue in Bellport and had sex with her over the next 24 hours.
"Judge, the allegations are such that [Harrell] did pick up the minor complainant on Dec. 9 and brought her to an abandoned house in Bellport where he subjected the 14-year-old female to sexual intercourse while she was held in the abandoned house between Dec. 9 and 10, a place not likely to be found and her parents did not give her permission to be with the defendant nor know where she was," Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney Cory Neunzig told District Court Judge Steven Weissbard at Harrell’s arraignment Jan. 18, according to a transcript of the proceeding obtained by Newsday.
Harrell, who court records show lives in a different house on Doane Avenue, is alleged to have parted ways with the girl at about 5 p.m. on Dec. 10, according to a criminal complaint, which also charges him with endangering the welfare of a child.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- Suffolk police have arrested a Bellport man and charged him with rape and kidnapping in connection with the 25-day disappearance of a 14-year-old East Patchogue girl, court records show.
- Alton Harrell, 35, is alleged to have picked the teen up on Dec. 9, when police and prosecutors say he took her to a house on Doane Avenue in Bellport.
- Defense attorney Jeremy Scileppi denied the charges, saying his client has cooperated with Suffolk police detectives since they first questioned him Dec. 15, according to the arraignment transcript.
He is the third person charged with raping the teen during her widely publicized disappearance, which ended with her being found on a boat docked in Islip Jan. 3, court records show. Newsday is not identifying the girl because she is the alleged victim of a crime and she is a minor.
Harrell’s court-appointed attorney, Jeremy Scileppi, of Commack, denied the charges, saying his client, who Neunzig described as an "acquaintance" of the teen, has cooperated with Suffolk police detectives since they first questioned him Dec. 15, according to the arraignment transcript.
"I don’t think the kidnapping case stands on all four legs," Scileppi told Weissbard, according to the transcript.
The house on Doane Avenue is owned by Oscar Realty LLC, according to Brookhaven Town property tax records. Attorneys with Gianfortune & Mionis, a Mineola law firm associated with Oscar Realty on both town and state records, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Suffolk police detective said Harrell’s arrest was based on a sworn written statement the teen gave police Jan. 3, which court records indicate was seven pages long, and statements Harrell made to police on Jan. 17, the day he was charged, according to the criminal complaint.
While prosecutors had requested bail at $1 million cash or $5 million bond, Scileppi argued for considerably less bail.
"He was not involved with anything about this person after the day that indicates he gave her a ride," Scileppi told the judge.
Weissbard set bail at $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond, noting that Harrell, who entered a general denial to the felony charges, faces between 5 and 25 years behind bars if convicted, according to the transcript. Court records show he remains in custody.
Scileppi declined additional comment about the case, in which Harrell is the second person charged with kidnapping.
Francis Buckheit, 64, of East Islip, was charged with kidnapping, rape and endangering the welfare of a child after the teen was found under netting covering the hull of his 56-foot boat as it was docked at White Cap Marina Jan. 3, court records show. Prosecutors have alleged he held the teen there for three weeks beginning Dec. 13 and that he intended to take her "to the Carolinas" by boat. Buckheit, who has pleaded not guilty, was remanded to the county jail without bail.
Bunice Knight, 47, of Copiague, was also charged with rape at an arraignment Jan. 14, court records show. Prosecutors allege he had sex with the 14-year-old inside his house on Jervis Avenue Jan. 2, hours before she was found. Court records show Knight, who also pleaded not guilty, has been released on a $100,000 bond.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has declined to discuss the individual cases, saying investigators are looking into the "circumstances behind how she went missing and the responsible parties" and presenting those facts to a grand jury. Court records indicate Harrell’s case was presented to the grand jury Wednesday.
No grand jury indictments have been unsealed in the cases. Attorneys for the defendants have said no date has been set yet for arraignments.
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