Bay Shore man admits supplying crack cocaine to Long Island girl missing for 25 days

A Bay Shore man pleaded guilty Wednesday to providing crack cocaine to a 14-year-old girl, who prosecutors said was sex trafficked while missing for 25 days, and was sentenced as part of a plea deal to under 1 year in prison — an agreement that a prosecutor said spares the victim from testifying.

Ralph Knowles, 63, pleaded guilty before acting state Supreme Court Justice Karen Wilutis in Suffolk County to a single count of endangering the welfare of a child. He had faced a top charge of second-degree attempted rape. Wilutis sentenced Knowles to 364 days — the maximum sentence for the Class A misdemeanor. 

Suffolk prosecutor Dana Castaldo, of the district attorney’s Child Abuse & Domestic Violence Bureau, said the district attorney's office agreed to the plea deal with the knowledge that Knowles is set to be sentenced next week to 7 years in prison on a narcotics charge.

That sentence, following his guilty plea last year to second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, "would exceed his exposure here," said Castaldo, adding that the district attorney's office also wanted "to spare the victim from having to testify."

Knowles declined an opportunity to say anything before the judge sentenced him. He also waived his right to appeal as part of the plea.

Knowles admitted under oath Wednesday to providing crack cocaine to the girl aboard a dilapidated yacht in Islip during the time she was missing from her Patchogue home.

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

Prosecutors have said Knowles visited the yacht, owned by co-defendant Francis Buckheit, 66, of East Islip, to sell drugs twice a day during the three weeks the girl was aboard the boat. Prosecutors have said that the drug investigation into Knowles originated from the yacht case.

Prosecutors have said that the girl told police Knowles suggested she work for him by selling sex in exchange for drugs. 

She also told authorities that he touched a private area on her body before attempting to have sexual contact with her, prosecutors have said previously.

Knowles' attorney Chase Brown said his client denies any sexual contact with the girl. 

"From the inception of this case, Mr. Knowles expressed to me that there was nothing that happened with this complainant, this young lady, in terms of any sort of sexual relationship," said Brown. "The only thing he was guilty of, which he has accepted responsibility [for], is bringing drugs onto this boat." 

Twenty-three people in two states have been charged with crimes related to the girl dating back to 2023, Newsday has reported. 

Last month, Buckheit attempted to suppress statements he made to police and evidence seized from his boat in January 2025. Co-defendant Alton Harrell, the 37-year-old Bellport man accused of luring the girl from her home, has also sought a dismissal of the charges against him and to suppress statements he made to his mother inside a police interrogation room.

Eleven defendants have been charged in an 83-count indictment in Suffolk County in connection with her disappearance. While some have pleaded guilty, other cases are still pending. 

Last month, Jacquelyn Comiskey, 54, of Bellport, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child, promoting prostitution and endangering the welfare of a child for arranging for the girl to have sex with a man in exchange for crack cocaine. She's expected to be sentenced to 12 years in prison with 20 years of post-release supervision in October. 

Daniel Burke, 65, of Bohemia, who was charged with kidnapping and raping the girl, died at the Suffolk County jail in July, Newsday has reported. A jail spokesperson said he "suffered a medical issue." His attorney said he went into cardiac arrest.