9 of 12 charged in case of missing Patchogue teen arraigned on indictment
The three suspects accused of first-degree kidnapping are being held without bail
Nine of the 12 people charged in the case of a missing teen from Patchogue were arraigned in Riverhead on a
75-count indictment.
Prosecutors say it all started when Alton Harrell abducted the 14-year-old girl on Dec. 9 and brought her to an abandoned home in Bellport.
VIDEO: Crime Victims Center executive director discusses recent missing teen cases on LI
From there, other defendants are accused of trafficking her in exchange for drugs.
Harrell is now one of three charged with the top count of first-degree kidnapping.
“He cooperated with police during the initial stages of this investigation to try to assist them in locating this girl," said Jeremy Scileppi, Harrell's lawyer.
Daniel Burke and Francis Buckheit are also charged with kidnapping.
As News 12 reported, the 14-year-old was missing for 25 days before she was found on a boat at the White Cap Marina in Islip.
Prosecutors say the boat belonged to Buckheit.
“He was under the impression that she was in fact 19 years old, which is not an unreasonable belief," said Danielle Papa, Buckheit's lawyer.
The other defendants are facing similar charges that include sexual abuse, sex trafficking, endangering the welfare of a child kidnapping and more.
Many of them say they didn’t know how old the teen was.
Prosecutors declined to comment.
The three suspects accused of first-degree kidnapping are being held without bail
The judge had each defendant sign an order of protection to stay away from the girl.
