A 20-year-old Long Island woman was sentenced to one year in prison and two years probation for falsely accusing two football players at a Connecticut college of rape. Journalists in the Superior Court room noted that Nikki Yovino repeatedly rolled her eyes or made faces, including when one of her victims spoke.
One of several eyerolls as judge sentences Nikki Yovino to a year in jail for falsely accusing two fellow Sacred Heart University students of rape in 2016. pic.twitter.com/uOcKp4QcQH
— Marcus Solis (@MarcusSolis7) August 23, 2018
In October 2016, Yovino was in her first year at Sacred Heart University when she said that two football players from the school's team raped her at an off-campus party. But then text messages between Yovino and the two football players seemed inconsistent with her account, and when police questioned her, Yovino allegedly said that she made up sexual assault allegation because while she did have sex with the two other students, she didn't want another male friend to lose interest in her as a possible girlfriend. The affidavit said, "She stated that she believed when (the other male student) heard the allegation, it would make him angry and sympathetic to her."
Yovino, a Setauket resident, was arrested in February 2017 and agreed to a plea deal this past June, just before jury selection was to begin.
One of the falsely accused, Malik St. Hilaire, spoke at Yovino's sentencing. From the Connecticut Post: "'I went from being a college student to sitting at home being expelled with no way to clear my name,' St. Hilaire told the judge, as Yovino smirked just a few feet away. 'I just hope she knows what she has done to me, my life will never be the same. I did nothing wrong, but everything has been altered because of this.'"
"My life will never be the same." Victim who was falsely accused of rape speaks out during sentencing of Nikki Yovino. pic.twitter.com/h89FZezudj
— Marcus Solis (@MarcusSolis7) August 23, 2018
Lawyer Frank Riccio read a statement from the second falsely accused man: "The last almost two years have been definitely my most difficult of my life. The roller coaster of emotions; fear, anger, sadness, embarrassment, depression, anxiety and the list goes on. She accused me of what I believe to be a horrendous, horrific crime out of her own selfish concerns. I lost my scholarship, my dream of continuing to play football and now I am in debt $30,000 and I’m simply trying to get ahead as best as I can."
Riccio, who is also representing St. Hilaire, had previously said his clients were thinking about suing Yovino, "They’re no longer in school. The loss of their education and the college experience has certainly affected them greatly. And this is all because of a very serious lie."