Released inmate found guilty of rape

Rasheed Milton had been accused of raping an 18-year-old woman he knew, at knife point, less than a week after mistakenly being released from the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden.

Milton claimed that sex was consensual, but the jury believed the victim, who testified against him.

"I think we had an intelligent jury and they were able to see through defense tactics, and that's all they were," said Prosecutor Aaron Glaser.

Milton's attorney had tried to convince the jury that the woman was simply going after money in a civil suit against Erie County, for allowing Milton to walk out of the Correctional Facility.

"There were countless inconsistencies that I thought were irreconcilable between her Grand Jury testimony and testimony she gave at a later time in a civil suit, seeking money damages," said Defense Attorney Paul Piotrowski.

But the jury didn't buy that argument. As each juror was polled separately, each pronouncing his guilt, Milton showed no emotion, just nodded his head.

"It's a conviction for a very serious crime. Not just rape, but predatory sexual assault, which is an aggravated form of rape. Generally, we don't make a recommendation until such time as we see the pre-sentencing report, but I think given the seriousness of this crime, and the defendant's record, I would think that we'll be recommending a very harsh sentence for Mr. Milton," said Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita.