Cops: 2 Homeless Sex Offenders From Riverside Trailers Arrested

Two registered sex offenders who failed to notify authorities of a change of address after leaving the Riverside homeless sex offender trailer have been arrested.

In February, Daniel Saggese, 44, a Level 3 sex offender previously registered in Southampton Town and living at the homeless sex offender trailer in Riverside failed to notify the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services of a change in address.

On Sept. 9, 2012 at 4 p.m, the City of Port Angeles police, in Washington State, located Saggese in a local coffee house. When they attempted to take him into custody, he allegedly fought with police and then fled on foot.

Officers chased Saggese and tasered him several times, at which time Saggese was arrested; one of the officers was injured in the incident.

Saggese faces City of Port Angeles charges for resisting arrest and federal charges under the Adam Walsh Protection Act for being a convicted sex offender who crossed state lines and failed to register his address with authorities.

As a Level 3 offender, the category with the highest risk of recidivism, Saggese was requred by law to update authorities of his whereabouts by checking in with police every three months, in addition to registering any change of address within 10 days of moving.

Unable to locate Saggese, a warrant was issued for absconding aarole, and Southampton Town Police, in conjunction with the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, indicted Saggese on charges of failing to register. 

The U.S. Marshall's New York Regional Fugitive Task Force & Sex Offenders Investigation branch tracked Saggese across the country and alerted the City of Port Angeles police department in Washington State that he was in the area.

In a second arrest, according to Southampton Town police, Anthony Purificato, 45, a Level 2 sex offender last known to be residing at the homeless sex offender trailer in Riverside, was arrested and charged with failing to register a change of address. On Sept. 4, at approximately 11 p.m., through joint efforts of the Southampton Town Detective Division, the U.S. Marshall's New York Regional Task Force & Sex Offenders Investigations Branch, and the Suffolk County Police Special Victims Unit, Purificato was located at Mr. D's Storage Facility in Holbrook.

He was held overnight and arraigned at Southampton Town justice court on Sept. 5, where he was remanded to the Suffolk County Correctional Facility without bail. According to police, Purificato has three prior convictions for the same offense in 2009, 2010, and 2011.

An investigation approximately six months ago revealed that Purificato was no longer living at the Riverside trailer and that he had failed to notify the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services of a change of address; New York State law requires that registered sex offenders must report any change of address within 10 days of moving.

Southampton Town currently has 84 registered sex offenders living in the area, with two homeless sex offender trailers in Riverside and Westhampton housing 25 to 36 per night.

In June, a larger trailer was created in Westhampton, holding up to 18 individuals, and increasing the number of homeless sex offenders housed in town by 10, police say.

In the past, all homeless sex offenders living in the trailers were required to register their addresses to the Riverside trailer. In April, Southampton Town Police Chief William Wilson assigned detectives to spotlight record keeping for sex offenders living in Southampton Town; the revamped system allowed for maintaining more accurate addresses.

In July, in tandem with U.S. Marshals and the Suffolk County Police Special Victims Unit, East End Police Departments visited five dozen convicted sex offenders at their homes, were in compliance with the state's Sex Offender Registry Act. All registered sex offenders in Riverhead were found to be compliant; were arrested.