A prominent New York City trauma surgeon, Maurizio Miglietta, 57, appeared in Manhattan Supreme Criminal Court on Thursday for a compliance status hearing related to charges of felony rape, sex abuse, unlawful imprisonment, and criminal possession of a firearm. Miglietta has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutors allege that in June 2025, Miglietta invited a 28-year-old woman to his Financial District apartment to discuss her business ventures. According to the New York District Attorney's Office, he allegedly made unwanted sexual advances, and when the woman refused, Miglietta displayed a loaded firearm. He is accused of then orally raping her and detaining her until she claimed to have a meeting.
Miglietta, who held positions as a professor of surgery at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and an Honorary Police Surgeon for the NYPD, was arrested in October 2025. Assistant District Attorney Candace White previously stated that Miglietta told officers during his arrest that he was a "special agent affiliated with law enforcement," according to The New York Times. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg described the case as "beyond disturbing," highlighting an alleged exploitation of a "power imbalance."
During Thursday's hearing, Miglietta's legal team, led by attorney Thomas Rotko, informed Judge Ann Thompson that they are awaiting further testing on DNA evidence, which had initially come back as "insufficient." The defense has also subpoenaed witnesses concerning text messages between the alleged victim and individuals she reported the incident to. Lawyers for Miglietta stated they had not yet seen these messages. The legal team is also scheduled to analyze clothing evidence related to the case on December 10.
Miglietta has an extensive medical career, having served as chief of trauma and critical care at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and held high-ranking positions at Bellevue Hospital and New York Presbyterian at Columbia. Property records indicate his primary residence is in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, and prosecutors noted he had 10 firearms registered in New Jersey, but none in New York.
He was previously released on $1 million bail and is expected to return to court next month for another hearing. The district attorney's office declined to comment on the ongoing case.