The true story behind Seemona Sumasar's case ahead of Dateline

Seemona Sumasar's story is one of deception, false allegations, and an intricate plot that resulted in her wrongful conviction. In 2009, Sumasar, a businesswoman and finance professional, made a r*pe complaint against her ex-boyfriend, Jerry Ramrattan, after breaking up with him.

Ramrattan, who boasted law enforcement connections, reacted by devising a plot to accuse her of a series of armed robberies. He hired individuals to play the role of victims, gave them information about Sumasar, and called in phoney crimes to the police. This culminated in her May 2010 arrest and nearly seven months in jail due to high bail, during which she lost her business, home, and restaurant.

The scheme was uncovered later in the year through a tip and materials such as phone records. This resulted in charges against her being dropped and Ramrattan being prosecuted.

The case is featured on the Dateline: Secrets Uncovered series titled Vengeance and airing again on Oxygen on September 25, 2025.

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Background of Seemona Sumasar and Jerry Ramrattan

Seemona Sumasar owned a Golden Krust Restaurant (Image via Unsplash/ @ Jahanzeb Ahsan)

Seemona Sumasar immigrated from Guyana to Queens, New York, as a child. She built a career in finance, working as an analyst at Morgan Stanley. She also owned a Golden Krust restaurant franchise in Far Rockaway. She was a single mother in her mid-30s raising her daughter.

Jerry Ramrattan, a Queens resident in his late 30s, ran a private investigation firm and had worked as a police informant but was not an active detective, as he claimed, according to ABC7 Chicago. He was married and had children, though he hid this from Sumasar.

The two met in early 2009 and began dating, with Ramrattan moving into her home. They discussed future plans, but tensions arose when Sumasar learned about his marriage and asked him to leave her house in February 2009, as per Oxygen.

Ramrattan had a prior history of using his knowledge of police procedures to manipulate situations, including past attempts to frame others for crimes like attempted murder and hit-and-run incidents (ABC News, 2010). This background set the stage for the conflict, as Sumasar's decision to end the relationship triggered a series of events involving harassment and legal actions.

Friends and associates of Ramrattan pressured her over time, but she proceeded with her complaint. The case later revealed how his familiarity with law enforcement helped in crafting detailed false reports. Sumasar's professional life also suffered amid financial strains from her business, which prosecutors initially viewed as a motive in the robbery charges against her, as per The New York Post.

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Timeline of events in Seemona Sumasar case

Seemona Sumasar got restraining orders for Jerry Ramrattan (Image via Unsplash/ @ Michael Förtsch)

The events began in February 2009 when Seemona Sumasar ended her relationship with Jerry Ramrattan after discovering he was married. On March 8, 2009, Ramrattan returned to her home, where an argument led to him restraining and assaulting her. Sumasar reported the r*pe to the police, underwent a medical examination, and Jerry was arrested. However, he was later released on bail, as per CNN.

Over the following months, Ramrattan and others harassed her to drop the charges. In September 2009, the first fake robbery report surfaced, with a witness claiming an Indian woman posing as a police officer robbed him in a vehicle matching Seemona Sumasar's.

Similar reports followed in March 2010 and May 2010, involving coerced individuals providing license plate details and identifying Sumasar in lineups, as ABC7 reported.

On May 20, 2010, Nassau County police arrested Sumasar near her restaurant on charges of robbery and impersonation. She was held on $1 million bail. While in jail, she lost her assets to foreclosure and closure, as per ABC News.

In December 2010, a tip from Ramrattan's associate revealed the frame-up, supported by phone records. According to the New York Post, the witnesses confessed, and charges against Sumasar were dropped on December 15, 2010.

Ramrattan was re-arrested that month on additional charges related to the scheme. The timeline shows a progression from personal dispute to elaborate deception over about 21 months.

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Legal outcomes and aftermath

Jerry Ramrattan was sentenced to 32 years in prison (Image via Unsplash/ @ Larry Farr)

Jerry Ramrattan's trial started in October 2011 in Queens Supreme Court, where evidence included Sumasar's testimony, medical records, and confessions from the fake witnesses. On November 23, 2011, a jury found him guilty of r*pe, perjury, conspiracy, and other felonies, as per CNN.

He received a 32-year sentence on January 17, 2012. He is serving time at Eastern New York Correctional Facility, with appeals denied as of 2015 and recent lawsuits dismissed in 2025, according to ABC7 Chicago. The three accomplices pleaded guilty and served jail terms.

In December 2011, Seemona Sumasar and her daughter filed a federal lawsuit against New York City, Nassau County, and detectives for false arrest and rights violations. The case was settled in 2017, with Nassau County paying $2 million and New York City an undisclosed amount, as per Business Insider. The events prompted reviews of police practices in Nassau County regarding evidence handling.

Seemona Sumasar has since maintained a private life, focusing on recovery, while sharing her story in media interviews. The case has been featured in various true crime programs, raising awareness about framing and abuse, as per ABC News.

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Interested viewers can watch the Dateline: Secrets Uncovered series, Vengeance, reairing on Oxygen on September 25, 2025.