Following a two-week bench trial that concluded earlier this week, an acupuncturist who formerly practiced in Springfield has been convicted of sexually assaulting a patient a little more than two years ago, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo and Springfield Police Chief John Cook jointly announced Wednesday.
The case was tried before Union County Superior Court Judge Lara DiFabrizio, after the defense waived the right to be tried by a jury.
At the conclusion of the trial, Judge DiFabrizio found 57-year-old Edward Raskin, of Chatham Township (Morris County), guilty of second-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.
The trial was the result of an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit and the Springfield Police Department, led by Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Sofia Santos and Detective Jessica Tattoli, along with Springfield Police Detective Sgt. James Mirabile.
The investigation revealed that Raskin sexually assaulted an adult victim during a scheduled appointment at Spirit Acupuncture on December 30, 2017, according to Unit Supervisor and Assistant Prosecutor Caroline Lawlor, who prosecuted the case.
Raskin turned himself in to police at Springfield Police Department headquarters in February 2018 before being taken to Union County Jail.
Raskin was also known to have an office in New York City. Anyone with information about his activities still is being urged to contact Sgt. Santos at 908-577-4256 or Sgt. Mirabile at 973-912-2242.
Convictions on second-degree criminal charges of this nature are commonly punishable by 5 to 10 years in state prison, with a minimum of 85 percent of the term to be served before the possibility of parole under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA).
A sentencing date in Superior Court will be scheduled to take place later this year.