Ralph Knowles, of Bay Shore, implicated in missing girl case, pleads guilty to drug sale during sting operation

A Bay Shore man charged in the case of a 14-year-old girl who went missing in December will serve 7 years in state prison after pleading guilty in a separate drug case Wednesday.

Ralph Knowles, 63, admitted before acting State Supreme Court Justice Richard Horowitz in Suffolk County to selling a half-ounce of crack cocaine and heroin to an undercover Suffolk police officer during a Jan. 30 sting operation launched after he was implicated in the missing girl case.

In exchange for pleading guilty to second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, prosecutors agreed to drop a more serious first-degree charge, Assistant District Attorney Hector Laserna said in court.

Knowles’ attorney, Chase Brown, of Central Islip, said his client intends to go to trial on the attempted rape charge stemming from the missing girl case.

"Since Day One, it’s been our theory that he was going to take responsibility for [the drug case], but the other case, he’s pled not guilty, he maintains his innocence and we look forward to fighting that," Brown said outside the Riverhead courtroom.

Horowitz told Knowles, who was previously offered an 8-year sentence before Brown secured a better deal, that Wednesday was his last chance to enter a guilty plea before trial.

"You’ve had nine months to decide," said Horowitz, who agreed to delay sentencing until after the other case is resolved.

Brown said prosecutors have not offered Knowles a plea deal in the case involving the then-14-year-old who was missing for 25 days before being found Jan. 3 aboard a yacht in Islip.

Newsday is not naming the girl because she is a minor and the victim of alleged sex crimes.

Prosecutors have said Knowles visited the yacht, owned by co-defendant Francis Buckheit, 65, of East Islip, to sell drugs twice a day during the three weeks the girl stayed on the vessel. Assistant District Attorney Zachary Kelly said at a Feb. 13 arraignment that the drug investigation originated from the yacht case.

Kelly told acting State Supreme Court Justice Karen Wilutis in Suffolk, who is presiding over the missing girl case, that Knowles admitted to frequently selling drugs to Buckheit over the course of several years.

“[Knowles] indicated that he saw [the girl] on that boat during that time frame ... but did deny any sexual conduct on his behalf," Kelly said at the Feb. 13 appearance.

Prosecutors say the girl told police Knowles suggested she work for him by engaging in sex for money. He touched a private area of her body before attempting to have sexual contact with her, prosecutors previously said.

"Fortunately, [the girl] was able to get away from the situation," Kelly said in February.

Brown said his client continues to deny that ever happened, and he doesn’t believe a plea offer would change his client’s position of "being innocent" in that case.

"That would involve him admitting something," Brown said.

Knowles is among 11 defendants charged in the indictment stemming from the yacht investigation. In addition to the felony attempted rape allegation, he also is facing misdemeanor charges for sexual abuse, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child.

Prosecutors have said the girl left her home about 5 p.m. on Dec. 9 and spent that night at a house in Bellport with 36-year-old Alton Harrell.

Harrell, Buckheit, and Daniel Burke, 64, of Bohemia, are all facing first-degree kidnapping charges for allegedly housing the girl during her December disappearance and face the possibility of being sentenced to 25 years to life in prison if convicted at trial. Robert Eccleston, 61, of Islip, was charged with second-degree kidnapping, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 25 years behind bars.

Elizabeth Hunter, 35, of Islip, and Jacqueline Comiskey, 52, of Bellport, are facing child sex trafficking charges for allegedly trading the girl for sex with men in exchange for drugs and money, prosecutors have said.

Eight men, including Harrell, Buckheit, Burke and Eccleston, are accused in the indictment of raping the girl at locations across southwestern Suffolk County during her disappearance. Knowles was the only person charged with attempted rape.

Kevin McDonald, 22, of Bellport, pleaded guilty to second-degree rape last week, the first guilty plea in the case. He will be sentenced next month.

In total, 23 people in two states have been charged with crimes related to the Patchogue girl for various offenses dating back to 2023, a Newsday investigation found. Charges are still pending against 16 of those individuals, including two state workers accused of abuse at residential centers where the girl was housed after she was found on the yacht.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.