Lawyer accused of being ‘serial rapist’ arrested after genetic genealogy tests, FBI says
A lawyer living in New Jersey is accused of sexual assaulting and kidnapping multiple people more than a decade ago in another state, according to authorities.
Matthew J. Nilo, 35, who used to live in Boston’s North End neighborhood, was identified as a suspect in connection with four incidents in the city in 2007 and 2008, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox announced on May 30.
Nilo, an accused “serial rapist” who now lives in Weehawken, New Jersey, was arrested on May 30, according to FBI Boston.
Investigative genetic genealogy testing carried out by the FBI helped identify him as the suspect, FBI Boston wrote in a post shared to Twitter.
He’s facing charges of three counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, one count of assault with intent to rape, and one count of indecent assault and battery related to four incidents that occurred in Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood, according to police.
“While we know Matthew Nilo’s arrest cannot erase the harm he has allegedly inflicted upon his survivors, we believe we have removed a dangerous threat from our community,” FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolonta said in a statement.
Information regarding Nilo’s legal representation wasn’t immediately available.
Authorities identified him after his relatives submitted their DNA to a genealogy database, WABC-TV reported.
Ancestry.com and 23 and Me are two examples of such databases that analyze customers’ DNA after they submit a saliva sample.
Nilo works as an attorney for Cowbell Cyber, a cyber insurance company with offices in several states, according to his LinkedIn. His profile says he’s employed at the company’s office in New York City.
Cowbell Cyber suspended Nilo from his position “pending further investigation,” the company told McClatchy News in a statement on June 1.
A spokesperson said he was hired in January after passing a background check.
Weehawken, where Nilo lives, is just west of New York City across the Hudson River.
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