Fairfax County Cop Convicted of Forcibly Sodomizing Ex-Girlfriend

Fairfax County Cop Convicted of Forcibly Sodomizing Ex-Girlfriend
As we've been saying for years, the Fairfax County Police are out of control

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Ex-Officer Admits to Rape


Ex-Officer Admits to Rape

A former New York City police officer pleaded guilty Thursday to raping a teacher at gunpoint, three months after a jury that convicted him on other charges deadlocked on rape counts.

Michael Pena's guilty plea to the rape counts spares the victim, who was 25 years old at the time of the August 2011 attack, from having to testify again in court during a new trial.

In March, a jury found Mr. Pena, 28, guilty of three counts of criminal sex act and three counts of predatory sexual assault. But jurors told the judge they couldn't come to an agreement on two rape counts and two counts of predatory sexual assault associated with the rape accusations.

Under an agreement with prosecutors Thursday, Mr. Pena's sentence for the rape-related counts will run concurrent with his current prison term.

He is already serving a minimum 75-year sentence and is almost certain to spend the rest of his life behind bars: the former police officer won't be eligible for parole before he is 103.

During the trial, Mr. Pena's defense attorney never disputed that a sexual assault occurred. His lawyer had argued instead that there hadn't been intercourse, which is required to prove rape under state law.

The defense attorney also argued that the off-duty police officer had been drunk and didn't remember the incident.

On Thursday, Mr. Pena pleaded guilty to snatching the victim off the street in Inwood last year and raping her in the courtyard of a building. He used his New York Police Department-issued pistol to threaten the woman, who was on her way to the first day at a new job as a schoolteacher.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., in a statement made following Thursday's court appearance, noted that Mr. Pena "took responsibility for his violent criminal actions and will serve up to life in prison."

"This plea spares the victim from testifying again about the crimes committed against her, and it is my hope this resolution brings a brave young teacher a measure of justice and closure," Mr. Vance added.

Mr. Pena had been an NYPD officer for three years at the time of the attack. He was fired immediately after his conviction in March.