What happened to Jerry Ramrattan? 'CSI' fan's fake revenge landed ex Seemona Sumasar in prison
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised
QUEENS, NEW YORK: Netflix's new docuseries, 'The Worst Ex', just dropped. The four cases in this first season are about betrayal, abuse, and deception. The stories are told through depositions, body camera footage, and animated reenactments, in the same format 'The Worst Roommate' is known for.
Episode 2 of the docu-series titled 'Betrayed by the Badge' centers on Seemona Sumasar and her ex-boyfriend Jerry Jamrattan. The narrative is reminiscent of a plot from 'CSI,' where a jilted ex-boyfriend creates a complex scheme of false accusations to wrongfully implicate his former girlfriend, leading to her being incarcerated for seven months.
This story is based on the real-life experiences of Seemona Sumasar. Following her request for him to leave her home in Queens, Jerry restrained her with duct tape, held her captive for several hours, and raped her.
Before departing, Jerry expressed remorse and pleaded with Seemona, who works as a financial analyst and restaurant owner, not to notify the authorities about the incident, according to Oxygen.
Despite this, Seemona still called 911 shortly after he left. As the legal proceedings against him progressed, Jerry sought retaliation by skillfully implicating her in a string of armed robberies. This not only undermined the single mother’s credibility in the sexual assault case but also resulted in her being incarcerated just as her trial was approaching.
Jerry allegedly persuaded two witnesses to give false testimony, encouraged another to falsely accuse Seemona, and skillfully concealed his involvement, ensuring that he was not considered a suspect. This alleged “master plot” of fabricated crimes led to Simona being sentenced to seven months in prison.
While in prison, Seemona's life deteriorated, and her restaurant closed down, and she was estranged from her 12-year-old daughter. Remarkably, just weeks before her trial began, an informant revealed to police that Jerry was the mastermind behind the entire situation.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown told the New York Times that despite handling tens of thousands of cases a year, this situation was unprecedented in public memory.
'We prosecute tens of thousands of cases each year, but in the collective memory, no one has ever seen anything like this before. Few people can pull off a master plot of this magnitude to exact revenge," Richard told the media outlet.
How did Seemona Sumasar and Jerry Jamrattan meet?
Their story began in 2006 when the couple first encountered each other. Jerry presented himself as a police detective, which captivated Seemona. However, despite his claims, he had only served as an informant for law enforcement previously and was not a detective.
They began a romantic relationship and cohabited, but it turned abusive. In 2009, she alleged that he restrained her and assaulted her. After she declined to retract the accusation, he reportedly utilized his understanding of police procedures, acquired from watching shows like 'CSI' and 'Law and Order,' to execute an intricate framing scheme.
According to the police, his plan included orchestrating three bogus crimes and instructing victims to identify Seemona's Grand Cherokee Jeep. He also presented them with a photo of her to help them identify her in an ID lineup.
Jerry allegedly convinced an undocumented immigrant from Trinidad to report that he had been handcuffed and robbed of $700 by an armed Indian woman. In return, he promised the man a special visa intended for victims of violent crimes.
Six months later, the second crime occurred, where another man was robbed. He managed to capture the first three letters of the getaway vehicle, a Grand Cherokee Jeep, which had a license plate that matched Seemona's. The third and final incident took place in May of the previous year, involving one of Jerry’s friends who reported being robbed by a couple impersonating police officers.
Cops discovered that the nicknames the couple allegedly used for one another could be connected to Seemona, as well as the license plate of the vehicle. Despite having solid alibis for all the alleged 'crimes', she was still considered the main suspect.
In May 2010, Seemona was stopped by the police, and a detective confronted her, saying, "You know you did it." Another officer urged her to "just admit it." Her bail was set at $1 million, an amount she couldn't pay.
As soon as Seemona was taken into custody, she claimed to investigators, "Jerry is responsible for this," but they did not take her seriously.
After enduring nearly seven months while facing a potential 25-year prison sentence, the authorities finally recognized their error. In December 2010, just weeks before her trial was set to begin, the charges against her were dismissed, leading to her release from prison.
'Worst Ex Ever' star Jerry Jamrattan denied rape allegations
In an interview with 'Dateline: Secrets Uncovered,' Jerry strongly rejected the rape accusations and maintained that the sexual encounter was consensual.
"We had sex all the time There was never any rape," he said.
However, authorities supported Seemona's claims, leading to Jerry being charged with rape. Over a year later, while the case against Jerry was ongoing in the legal system, Seemona was driving near her restaurant when she was stopped by undercover police detectives, handcuffed, and taken to a precinct in Nassau County, Long Island.
Seemona's arrest was a distressing ordeal, according to her lawyer Nick Brustin in an interview with 'Dateline: Secrets Uncovered.' He stated that she was not informed about the reasons for her arrest and was left completely bewildered, making it a frightening and surprising experience for her.
She faced charges of armed robbery, carrying a firearm, and pretending to be a police officer. The shocked financial analyst couldn't afford to pay her $1 million bail and stayed in jail, separated from her 12-year-old daughter, while the legal proceedings continued.
Queens Assistant District Attorney Frank Di Gaetano, the prosecutor in her rape case, stated on 'Dateline: Secrets Uncovered' that Long Island authorities suspected Seemona committed the robberies due to increasing financial difficulties.
"She was behind on her taxes. They ultimately decided her restaurants were not doing well and she was in serious financial trouble," he said.
Jerry claimed that his ex-girlfriend faced significant financial difficulties, which led her to sell the restaurant to him; however, this assertion was later proven false in court. Seemona had an alibi for the night of the last robbery, as she was with family in Connecticut. Her cell phone records indicated she was in the area, and she also supplied security camera footage from a casino that seemed to show her there that night.
Jerry's new girlfriend came forward and supported Seemona by providing details about his phone calls which proved her innocence.
Was Jerry Ramrattan arrested?
In 2011, authorities opted to consolidate the charges, resulting in Jerry's conviction on 11 counts, including rape and conspiracy. Jerry, maintaining his innocence, received a 33-year prison sentence.
Seemona, who experienced the loss of her home, job, and time with her daughter due to her time in jail, subsequently filed a lawsuit against the New York Police, two detectives, Nassau County, and one of its detectives. The city settled for an undisclosed sum, while the county defendants agreed to settle for $2 million.
'Worst Ex Ever' is streaming now on Netflix.