Queens Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Cold Case

A 31-year-old Queens man has been sentenced to at least 15 years in prison for the 2000 rape of a Manhattan woman, the Manhattan district attorney said.

Rajeev Kumar, a limousine driver, pled guilty to rape, sodomy and conspiracy charges on June 7 and was sentenced last week, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance said.

Kumar was arrested in 2009 after setting a limousine on fire on 32nd Avenue in Queens. His DNA, which was collected upon his conviction for that incident, matched the 2000 rape, the DA said.

Following his indictment on rape and sodomy charges in August 2010, the defendant was placed in the Rikers Island prison.

During that time, he attempted to hire an undercover police officer to murder the woman who had accused him of rape, Vance said. He told the officer that he would pay $5,000 for the murder.

Kumar was then indicted on the conspiracy charge, the DA said.

On June 28, the defendant was sentenced to at least 15 years in state prison and was required to register as a sex offender.

“DNA evidence brings life to cold cases and delivers justice for victims, like the one in this case, who believe their cases might never be solved,” the DA said.

A spokeswoman for the Manhattan DA’s office would not disclose the name of the Queens car company for which the defendant worked.

Kumar lived in East Elmhurst, a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.