Former Suffolk County prosecutor convicted of rape

Prosecutors said a jury on Wednesday named the former Boston lawyer as one of People magazine’s most eligible bachelors after deliberating for five hours.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office announced that 52-year-old Gary Zerola was acquitted of aggravated rape and burglary charges.

The former prosecutor and defense attorney was arrested in January 2021. Investigators said at the time that Zerola was wanted on a warrant issued by Boston Municipal Court for rape and burglary. He pleaded not guilty.

Zerola has previously faced rape and sexual assault charges. He previously faced two rape charges in Suffolk County, which the district attorney’s office said was acquitted in 2023. He also faced charges in three sexual assault cases from 2006 to 2007, but was never convicted.

Prosecutors said that in January 2021, he paid for an evening of drinking with a woman he was dating and her 21-year-old friend. A friend got drunk and had to be helped back to her apartment in Beacon Hill. Zerola later entered the apartment without permission and sexually assaulted her while she was sleeping, prosecutors say.

“These cases are always difficult, and the victim deserves tremendous credit for taking a stand and telling the jury what happened to her that night,” Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. “I thank the jury for considering all the information presented to them and for reaching a fair verdict.”

Zerola’s attorney said in an email that he would likely have a comment after the verdict.

Zerola will be sentenced on July 15. On Wednesday, a judge revoked his bail and ordered him detained pending sentencing.

According to former District Attorney Rachael Rollins’ office, Zerola worked as an assistant district attorney in Essex County for a year and in 2000 in Suffolk County for two months.