Victim rips 'coward' guard as he's sentenced to 5 yrs.
Manhattan artist Laura Zirioli denounced city uniformed guard John Lugo as “a coward” who has robbed her of her peace of mind as he was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
Lugo, 36, was arrested Sept. 18 on charges including criminal sex act by force and one coercion.
“He saw a weak and helpless young woman and preyed on my vulnerability,” Zilioli, 43, told the court in her victim impact statement. “He sexually assaulted and raped me. He knew I couldn’t fight back from exhaustion and fatigue, victimized by embarrassment and paralyzed with hopelessness.”
“I lie awaking thinking about it,” said Zirioli, in a reference to events of May 17, 2017 detailed in a $5 million civil lawsuit against New York City.
In the legal action, Zilioli said she was at the Human Resources Administration office on W. 14th St. and Fifth Ave. 14 months ago to pick up a check. “Words were exchanged” with Lugo, a peace officer working there. He arrested and handcuffed her, then brought her to a room where he, she said, “forcefully orally sodomized her without her consent.”
Ziloli said she spoke in court on Thursday for all of the people who don’t get the opportunities to speak for themselves.
“For every child, animal, senior citizen, disable woman and man, that have been violated due to vulnerability,” she said. “But most importantly I am here today because of his sick assault on me, while I was handcuffed and smelled like dry urine with mascara running down my face.”
Lugo, dressed in all black, sat with his hands followed completely still while Zilioli spoke. He did not speak in court and waived his right to appeal, leaving the sentencing for criminal sexual act in the first degree to stand. Lugo will also have to register as a sex offender.
Judge Michael Odus said Lugo’s behavior was a “disgraceful betrayal” of the trust people put into police officers.
Zilioli said she still grapples with the aftermath of her assault and struggles to trust police officers.