A Youngwood man acquitted last month of rape charges was ordered Friday to serve up to eight years in prison for a related simple assault of an 18-year-old woman and and for the possession of illegal drug offenses.
Brandon Giron, 23, told a Westmoreland County judge he was ready to give up his life as a drug dealer, a role that he claimed led to false allegations that he sexually assaulted his accuser in January.
“I have no one to blame but myself,” Giron said during his sentencing hearing. “I was an alcoholic and a drug dealer, and that’s not who I want to be. If I didn’t sell and use drugs, I wouldn’t have been falsely accused. I did not kidnap or rape her, but I did put myself in position to be accused.”
After a two-day trial in November, a Westmoreland County jury convicted Giron of one misdemeanor count of simple assault in connection with his accuser’s allegations. Jurors acquitted Giron of rape, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, aggravated indecent assault and other offenses.
His accuser testified at trial that she visited Giron’s home at 2:30 a.m. Jan. 3 and, while she was in his bedroom, he held her captive, forced her use drugs and repeatedly sexually assaulted her over a period of hours.
Giron did not testify at trial. His defense lawyer argued that the sex between Giron and the woman was consensual.
Police said that while investigating the sexual assault allegations they found marijuana, cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamines in Giron’s home. He was convicted of 11 drug-related counts in connection with those allegations.
In court Friday, Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Rita Hathaway imposed a maximum sentence of one to two years in prison for the simple assault and consecutive sentences for the drug offenses. In all, the judge sentenced Giron to serve four to eight years in prison.
“It was like a variety store,” Hathaway said of the drugs police said were found in Giron’s home. “You really did make this your career.”
