House Hunter Ashok Singh Convicted of Rape in Re-Trial in Queens Supreme Court
November 22, 2019 - Easton, PA resident Ashok Singh (58) was found guilty today of raping a woman after helping her find a place to live in Richmond Hill, Queens in a re-trial.
The two-week-long re-trial of Pennsylvania Indian Askhok Singh was followed by a 2018 hung jury.
According to the trial testimony held in Queens, NY Supreme Court:
..on December 26, 2015, the victim visited a house of worship to see if anyone had posted an apartment for rent on the bulletin board there. At the temple, she encountered the defendant. They talked and he offered to help her find a place to stay and they exchanged phone numbers. Four days later, the defendant called the woman and said he found her a place and that she needed to move in immediately. Singh helped the then-40-year-old woman move in. And afterwards, he went grocery shopping for food and wine and returned to the basement apartment in Richmond Hill, Queens.
.. the victim refused to drink alcohol with Singh and he went into a rage. He threw her on the bed and forcibly raped her. When he fell asleep, the victim ran out of the apartment and contacted a friend for help. The police were notified and the victim was treated at an area hospital. While the victim was at the hospital, Singh called her and left a voicemail message on her cell phone. He said in sum and substance that he was sorry and he would never do it again without her permission.
...furthermore, the defendant’s DNA was a match to vaginal swabs taken from the victim at the hospital during a sexual assault evidence collection exam.
Guilty Counts and Potential Penalty
Ashok Singh was found guilty of:- First- and third-degree rape
- Second-degree unlawful imprisonment
The sentencing of Ashok Singh is scheduled for December 19, 2019.