Young Lawyer Arrested In String Of Decade-Old Rapes, Kidnappings
Genetic genealogy was used to identify him as a suspect in the unsolved cases.
We have some disturbing news to report out of New Jersey, where a 35-year-old cyber insurance attorney was arrested for allegedly committing a series of sexual assaults against four women in Boston, Massachusetts, between 2007 and 2008.
Matthew J. Nilo, a 2015 graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law, was arrested earlier this week and charged with three counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, one count of assault with intent to rape, and one count of indecent assault and battery.
Law360 has additional details on the investigation:
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In a separate statement on Twitter, the FBI said it used genetic genealogy to help identify Nilo as the assailant behind the attacks. The FBI Boston division’s special agent in charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta said in the statement that while the arrest “cannot erase the harm he has allegedly inflicted upon his survivors, we believe we have removed a dangerous threat from our community.”
Bonavolonta added that law enforcement “will continue to use any technological advancement we can to seek justice” for victims of violent crimes “despite the passage of time.”
The FBI’s tweet referred to Nilo as an “accused serial rapist.” According to Cowbell, where Nilo has worked as cyber claims counsel since January, he’s been suspended “pending further investigation.”
Nilo made a court appearance on a fugitive from justice warrant in New Jersey, where he waived extradition. He will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court sometime in the future.
NJ Insurance Atty Arrested In 2007-08 Boston Rapes [Law360]
Matthew Nilo, lawyer charged in connection with Charlestown sexual assaults, agrees to be transferred to Mass. [Boston Globe]
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Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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