Current:Home > StocksBoston lawyer once named ‘most eligible bachelor’ is sentenced to 5-10 years for raping 21-year-old-LoTradeCoin
Boston lawyer once named ‘most eligible bachelor’ is sentenced to 5-10 years for raping 21-year-old
View Date:2024-12-23 16:17:21
BOSTON (AP) — A former Boston lawyer and prosecutor who was once named one of People magazine’s most eligible bachelors was sentenced Monday to between five and 10 years in state prison for rape.
Gary Zerola, 52, was found guilty last month after a jury deliberated for five hours and has been incarcerated since then. He was acquitted of a greater charge of aggravated rape and burglary.
Prosecutors said that Zerola, in January 2021, paid more than $2,000 for a night of drinking with a woman he was dating and her 21-year-old friend who’d just graduated from college. The friend became intoxicated and had to be helped back to her Beacon Hill apartment. Zerola later entered the apartment without permission and sexually assaulted the woman around 2 a.m. while she was sleeping, prosecutors said.
In a victim impact statement that was read in court, the woman said she’d tried desperately to not allow the incident to affect her, or to give Zerola any power over the rest of her life. But she said that participating in the trial had brought up “the significant and insidious effect this event has had on my life.”
“For months after the incident, I experienced nightly recurring nightmares reliving the assault. Even today, I still have nightmares of someone breaking into my apartment and trying to assault me,” the woman wrote.
The Associated Press does not generally name victims of sexual assault.
“These cases are always difficult, and this victim deserves enormous credit for taking the stand and telling the jury what happened to her that night,” Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement after the verdict.
Zerola’s attorney Joseph Krowski Jr. said Monday that his client is appealing the conviction. He said the sentence wasn’t what they wanted, but was within or close to the recommended guideline range for somebody without a previous criminal record. He pointed out that Zerola had been acquitted on two of the three original charges.
Krowski Jr. said his client was doing “as well as could be expected under the circumstances” and was going to put his time to good use and come out of the experience for the better.
Zerola had previously been accused of other sexual assaults but wasn’t convicted in those cases. He had faced two rape charges in Suffolk County and was acquitted in 2023, according to the district’s attorney’s office. He also was charged in three sexual assault cases between 2006 and 2007, but was not convicted.
Zerola worked as an assistant district attorney in Essex County for one year, and in Suffolk County for two months in 2000, according to former District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office.
He was arrested in January 2021.
veryGood! (747)
Related
- Elena Rose has made hits for JLo, Becky G and more. Now she's stepping into the spotlight.
- Groups sue over new Texas law that lets police arrest migrants who enter the US illegally
- Everyone in Houston has a Beyoncé story, it seems. Visit the friendly city with this guide.
- Putin ratchets up military pressure on Ukraine as he expects Western support for Kyiv to dwindle
- John Krasinski is People's Sexiest Man Alive. What that says about us.
- Lillard joins 20,000-point club, Giannis has triple-double as Bucks defeat Spurs 132-119
- Katie Holmes Reacts to Sweet Birthday Shoutout From Dawson's Creek Costar Mary-Margaret Humes
- Japan’s trade shrinks in November, despite strong exports of vehicles and computer chips
- Suspect in deadly 2023 Atlanta shooting is deemed not competent to stand trial
- 5 people crushed after SUV topples over doing donuts in Colorado Springs, driver charged
Ranking
- Agents search home of ex-lieutenant facing scrutiny as police probe leak of school shooting evidence
- 'I don't think we're all committed enough': Jalen Hurts laments Eagles' third loss in a row
- Brazil lawsuits link JBS to destruction of Amazon in protected area, seek millions in damages
- Migrant child’s death and other hospitalizations spark concern over shelter conditions
- What does the top five look like and other questions facing the College Football Playoff committee
- The Excerpt: Gov. Abbott signs law allowing Texas law enforcement to arrest migrants
- Wisconsin Assembly’s top Republican wants to review diversity positions across state agencies
- Ex-Proud Boys leader is sentenced to over 3 years in prison for Capitol riot plot
Recommendation
-
NFL power rankings Week 11: Steelers, Eagles enjoying stealthy rises
-
South Carolina couple is charged with murder in the 2015 killings of four of their family members
-
Fresh Express bagged spinach recalled in 7 states over potential listeria concerns
-
South Carolina couple is charged with murder in the 2015 killings of four of their family members
-
Lost luggage? This new Apple feature will let you tell the airline exactly where it is.
-
MLB mock draft 2024: Who will Cleveland Guardians take with No. 1 overall pick?
-
Céline Dion lost control over her muscles amid stiff-person syndrome, her sister says
-
Ho, ho, hello! How to change your smart doorbell to a festive tune this holiday season