A Middlesex County jury has convicted 59-year-old Wakefield resident and former orthopedic surgeon James DeVellis of raping a younger family friend, according to the police blotter from the Boston Herald. Sentencing is scheduled for Monday. Prosecutors say the assault traces back to April 2020, when a then-21-year-old family friend was invited to a Lexington home DeVellis owned to help clear out furniture. At some point during that visit, the victim lost consciousness and was sexually assaulted, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. DeVellis was arrested in December 2022 and later arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office previously reported.
The conviction caps a long and messy legal history. DeVellis is a former orthopedic surgeon who left practice after misconduct allegations surfaced in 2016. An earlier trial in September 2025 ended in a hung jury after charges were refiled following a 2024 change to state law, as detailed by Boston 25 News.
The latest verdict was first noted publicly in a short item on the Herald’s police blotter, which reported that prosecutors intend to ask the judge for a sentence at Monday’s hearing. The Boston Herald also outlined the scheduled court date.
What Prosecutors Say Happened
According to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the case presented to jurors centered on that April 2020 visit to DeVellis’s Lexington property. The victim was there to help with furniture, prosecutors said, and later lost consciousness and was sexually assaulted. The office initially brought the charges in December 2022 and handled pretrial proceedings in Middlesex Superior Court, per an earlier release from the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.
What He Could Face At Sentencing
Under Massachusetts law, a rape conviction can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in state prison. For aggravated or repeat offenses, the punishment can be life or any term of years, according to state statute. The penalties and sentencing rules are spelled out in Massachusetts General Laws, c.265 §22.
How This Fits Into The Middlesex DA’s Broader Push
The Middlesex DA’s office has been busy this year pursuing older and more complex sexual assault cases. In March, prosecutors landed a high-profile guilty verdict in a decades-old aggravated rape case tied to a Framingham department store, a result the office highlighted as part of an expanded focus on cold cases. The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office has framed that work as part of a renewed push on long-running investigations.
All eyes will now be on Monday’s sentencing, where it will become clear whether prosecutors press for a state prison term and exactly what punishment they seek. The judge’s decision, along with the hearing record and filings, is expected to spell out the specific sentence requested by the commonwealth and the defense team’s final arguments.
