Former Boston attorney Gary Zerola sentenced on rape conviction

BOSTON (Court TV) — A former Boston attorney, who was once named one of People magazine’s most eligible bachelors, has been handed a 5-10 year prison sentence on a rape conviction.

Gary Zerola was 49 years old when he raped a 21-year-old woman after a night of drinking. Prosecutors said he entered the victim’s apartment and sexually assaulted her while she slept. She woke up as he was raping her.

Gary Zerola appears during his sentencing Monday, July 15, 2024. (Court TV)

The court recommended that Zerola’s sentence be served at the Norfolk prison facility based on a request from the defense.

Zerola, now 52, suffers from a rare and potentially fatal form of eye cancer, and the defense asked that he serve his sentence at the Norfolk facility since it could best accommodate any treatment that he needs.

The judge’s sentence was less than the Commonwealth’s recommendation of 9-13 years, and more than the defense’s suggestion of 2-3 years.

The victim was not present for the sentencing, instead prosecutor Ian Polumbaum read her statement in which she requested the maximum sentence permitted for the damage that Zerola inflicted on her.

She wrote that the rape had left her intensely paranoid and fearful of trusting anyone. She stated that her fear and paranoia force her to live beyond her means in a doorman-staffed apartment building in New York so she can feel safe. She described experiencing frequent nightmares that continue to haunt her and force her to relive the trauma.

Zerola has faced previous charges of rape and sexual assault . In 2023, he stood trial on two rape charges in Suffolk County and was acquitted. He was also charged in three sexual assault cases between 2006 and 2007, but was never convicted.

Defense attorney Joseph Krowski Jr. said he has received at least 100 letters of support of leniency for Zerola, who he says suffered severe physical and emotional abuse growing up.

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Krowski asked the judge to refer to a letter written by Zerola’s brother, who described an incident in which the Zerola children watched their father mount and strike their mother repeatedly. Krowski said the household was governed by fear and went on to describe how the children had to endure the sight of their father shooting and killing a stray dog they brought home.

Krowski said Zerola’s childhood setbacks make his accomplishments as an adult and attorney all the more remarkable and urged the judge not to give any weight to the Commonwealth’s argument that Zerola used his legal expertise to exploit the allegations against him by advancing a consent defense.

Krowski asked the judge to take note of his generosity and his advocacy for foster children, which won him a community award. Many of Zerola’s supporters were in the gallery for the sentencing. Zerola did not make a statement on the advice of his attorney who told the court that his appeal is pending.