Boston lawyer, one-time "most eligible bachelor," charged with rape
BOSTON -- A Boston attorney who was once named among People Magazine’s “Most Eligible Bachelors” is accused of rape, and it’s not the first time he’s faced sex assault charges.
Former Suffolk County assistant district attorney turned criminal defense lawyer Gary Zerola was arrested Wednesday and arraigned in Boston Municipal Court later in the day, reports CBS Boston.The 45-year-old was charged with two counts of rape after an incident that occurred the morning of Nov. 10. Prosecutors say he raped a woman he knows.
In 2001, Zerola was dubbed Boston’s most eligible bachelor by People Magazine and was named a finalist for ABC’s first season of “The Bachelor,” reports the Boston Herald. Zerola was accused in 2006 of raping two women in his apartment in Boston’s North End, but was acquitted in those cases, the paper reports.
While out on probation in 2007, Zerola was again accused of raping a woman, this time in a Miami Beach hotel. Those charges were dismissed by prosecutors, according to the Herald.
In the latest case, a judge ordered Zerola held on $10,000 cash bail. He must wear a GPS monitoring bracelet, maintain a curfew, stay away from the woman and not consume any alcohol, according to CBS Boston.
“Mr. Zerola is nothing more than a target in this case,” his attorney, Joseph Krowski Jr., told the Herald. “This is a case based upon a foundation of lies and we vigorously look forward to our day in court.”
