Nassau Man Sentenced for Raping 3 Women

A Hempstead man was sentenced to 55 years to life for raping three women and attempting to rape another in 2013.

Ramone Smith, 26, was found guilty by a jury on Nov. 7 of predatory sexual assault, two counts of first-degree rape, first-degree criminal sex act, first-degree attempted rape, two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree robbery and first-degree attempted sexual abuse.

“This sexual predator lured his vulnerable victims online and then brutally raped them,” said District Attorney Madeline Singas. “Today’s sentence ensures that this twisted defendant will no longer pose a threat to women in our communities.”

On July 18, 2013, Smith attempted to rape a 22-year-old woman at knifepoint in the woman’s motel room in Westbury. Smith had answered the woman’s advertisement on the website Backpage.com and had agreed to meet her at the room, where he then tried to sexually assault her. Smith also stole an item of the woman’s lingerie before she was able to flee the room and to safety.

Smith also met three other women between June and August 2013 at his apartment building on Washington Street in Hempstead after he had answered each woman’s advertisement in an “adult entertainment services” section on Backpage. Each of these women, ages 22, 27 and 19, was instead lured to the roof by Smith, where he sexually assaulted them. The rapes occurred on June 18, Aug. 7 and Aug. 27, 2013.

Photo: Nassau County District Attorney's Office