A sex offender with a notorious history was sentenced to a staggering term of 72 to 105 years in prison on Tuesday, as confirmed by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. Ronald Brown, 60, was found guilty on a total of 21 grave charges, which encompassed aggravated rape, kidnapping, witness intimidation, the illicit photographing of an unsuspecting nude person, and multiple counts of breaking and entering.
During the sentencing proceedings, Brown exhibited a defiant attitude, ignoring the judge’s directives and erupting with expletives in the courtroom. In a shocking display of aggression, he physically assaulted court officers who attempted to escort him out, further demonstrating his disregard for the judicial process, according to statements from the district attorney’s office.
The district attorney detailed how, in 2016, Brown strategically targeted women by surveilling their apartments and breaking into their homes to steal personal belongings. This pattern of voyeurism escalated into grievous acts of violence, leaving a deep psychological scar on the victims, one of whom referred to his actions as a “menacing legacy.” This troubling legacy traces back to an initial rape conviction in 1986, after which Brown served a lengthy prison sentence of 25 to 30 years. His release came alarmingly close to his subsequent wave of criminal activities, as per the district attorney’s disclosures.
On Sept. 22, 2016, Brown broke into a woman’s residence on Warren Avenue, pilfering shoes, handbags, a car key, and other personal items. His predatory behavior continued the next day when he meticulously staked out an apartment on Dwight Street, even recording video footage of the building facade. By Sept. 27 and 28, prosecutors revealed that he crossed a significant line by filming a woman undressing through her bedroom window after she had just emerged from the shower.
Subsequent entries into other residences revealed a chilling escalation. On Oct. 2, Brown invaded an apartment on Milford Street while a woman was asleep, stealing her clothes, purses, shoes, a computer, and cash. The very next day, he revisited the Dwight Street apartment to collect personal documents and photos. His spree intensified on Oct. 6 when he burglarized a different apartment in the same building, getting away with jewelry, shoes, and handbags valued in the thousands.
Brown’s most heinous crime occurred on Oct. 11, when he unlawfully entered a basement apartment on Calerdon Street. Reports detail a horrifying scene where he blindfolded, bound, and gagged two women, subsequently raping one and assaulting the other. Disturbingly, he forced the victim he raped to shower, attempting to wash away any evidence of the crime, while also stealing their electronics and demanding their passwords.
Investigators ultimately identified Brown when one of the victims discovered his name on a prescription pill bottle left at the crime scene. Another victim noted his distinct red camouflage clothing, crucial details that led to his arrest the following day, Oct. 12, 2016, at the Pine Street Inn shelter, where he had been residing. Upon his apprehension, authorities found stolen items in his backpack, alongside his handwritten notes containing personal information about his female victims. He was reportedly dressed in the same red camouflage when he returned to the shelter on the day of his last attack.
One victim addressed the court during impact statements, emphasizing the ongoing danger Brown poses to society: “He is a real and present danger to society. He has illustrated no success at rehabilitation. He has taken no accountability whatsoever and shown not a hint of remorse. He should under no circumstances be allowed the liberty to terrorize another human being, community or society ever again.” Since his October 2016 arrest, Brown has remained in custody, having opted to attend his trial via Zoom instead of in person.
