By Rebecca Henely
A Queens Supreme Court jury found former Far Rockaway resident Jerry Ramrattan, 39, guilty of raping his ex-girlfriend Wednesday and then enacting an elaborate scheme that put her behind bars for seven months, the Queens district attorney’s office said.
“The jury in this case has righted a terrible wrong and justice has finally been served for the victim,” District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.
Ramrattan raped Seemona Sumasar, 36, on March 8, 2009 at the address they both shared after an argument, tying her up with duct tape and dragging her to the basement, the DA said. After Sumasar went to the police, Ramrattan threatened one person and hired two others to lie and say Sumasar and another one of her ex-lovers, Vishnanauth “Elvis” Bandhu, had robbed them in 2009 and 2010 in Jamaica and Nassau County, the DA said.
The three people repeated their lies to grand juries, and Sumasar was held in a Nassau County prison for seven months, only gaining release after an informant came forward in December 2010, the DA said.
Ramrattan was convicted of rape, perjury, conspiracy and other charges and faces more than 25 years in prison, the DA said. His sentencing has been set for Jan. 4.
Sumasar said the verdict gave her the chance to start her life again, The New York Times reported.
“Jerry told so many lies, and I was imprisoned because authorities had decided to believe him. But I am not bitter,” Sumasar told The New York Times. “The truth won out in the end.”
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
