In a verdict delivered earlier today, former state prosecutor Gary Zerola was found guilty of rape, stemming from an incident dating back to 2021. The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office made the announcement, concluding a trial that revisited Zerola's history with similar accusations. Zerola, 52, has faced charges previously, having been acquitted of rape and sexual assault charges in both 2008 and 2023, according to WHDH.

The trial focused on an evening in January 2021 when Zerola paid for drinks with a woman he was seeing, and her 21-year-old friend. According to the Suffolk County DA's office, the younger woman became heavily intoxicated and required assistance returning to her Beacon Hill apartment. It was there that Zerola entered without permission, and had intercourse with her while she was asleep, as reported by WHDH.

Despite his not guilty plea, the jury reached a guilty verdict after deliberating for over five hours over the course of two days. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden expressed the challenges inherent in such cases, and praised the courage of the victim, stating, "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. I thank the jurors for considering all of the information presented to them and for returning a just verdict,” according to Boston 25 News.

Zerola's history includes time spent as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney in Suffolk and Essex counties, he was even spotlighted in People magazine's top 50 bachelors. Notably, in June 2023, he was found not guilty on two counts of rape pertaining to an alleged 2016 incident involving another 23-year-old woman after a night out. The bail for Zerola, was revoked by Judge Mary Ames, who has scheduled the sentencing for July 15, 2024.