Woman whose false rape accusation ruined Army doctor's life gets tiny jail sentence

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER

Published: | Updated:

A Pennsylvania woman received a shockingly short jail sentence after falsely accusing an Army doctor of rape.

Veronika Rodriguez, 27, was sentenced to just 30 days in jail with 22 additional months on probation for one count of false reporting, intercepting communications and disclosing intercepted communications. 

Rodriguez was found guilty by a Lebanon County jury in May after she claimed Fahad Pervez had sexually assaulted her. 

The false accusation led Pervez to voluntarily resign from his position within the military.  

The pair had gone on a date in January 2023 while Rodriguez was a member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and had sex in the doctor's car while parked at the Keystone Conference Center in Fort Indiantown Gap. 

Police had approached the car for being parked after-hours and the incident later appeared on a police blotter, Law & Crime reported. 

But after the pair were questioned by National Guard officials for fraternizing, Rodriguez claimed the man had taken her glasses so she couldn't see properly and that the encounter had not been consensual. 

She told police that part of the alleged assault had been secretly recorded on her phone. 

Veronika Rodriguez, 27, was sentenced to just 30 days in jail with 22 additional months on probation after falsely reporting she was raped by Fahad Pervez, a former Army doctor

Veronika Rodriguez, 27, was sentenced to just 30 days in jail with 22 additional months on probation after falsely reporting she was raped by Fahad Pervez, a former Army doctor

Rodriguez was charged with one count of false reporting, intercepting communications and disclosing intercepted communications

Rodriguez was charged with one count of false reporting, intercepting communications and disclosing intercepted communications

Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf described Rodriguez as a 'deceitful criminal,' who 'stole [Pervez's] career and his future,' and that the former Army doctor continues to receive harassment

Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf described Rodriguez as a 'deceitful criminal,' who 'stole [Pervez's] career and his future,' and that the former Army doctor continues to receive harassment

Authorities, however, discovered that communications found on her phone contradicted her claims. 

Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf said that 'every step of the way, this was consensual.'

'Not only do you have those messages between the two parties, but you also have the way she described it to her friends and in every text, in every message, it was consensual.' 

Rodriguez had set up another date with the doctor and forwarded the recording to another person accompanied with a description of their night together. 

Graf wrote in a statement: 'The Defendant had consensual sex that she secretly recorded and bragged about to a multitude of friends.

'She falsely cried rape only when confronted about fraternization with the victim by her military superior. She then manipulated the secret recording to try and make it appear as a rape. A full review of the Defendant's cell phone's evidence was damning and proved otherwise.' 

Graf described Rodriguez as a 'deceitful criminal,' Fox 43 reported. 

Rodriguez was said to have made 'self-edits' to an hour long recording, creating 'well over 10 clips that she labels, and she names in her own words to paint this out as a rape,' Graf said. 

The pair had gone on a date in January 2023 while Rodriguez was a member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and had sex in the doctor's car while parked at the Keystone Conference Center in Fort Indiantown Gap

The pair had gone on a date in January 2023 while Rodriguez was a member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and had sex in the doctor's car while parked at the Keystone Conference Center in Fort Indiantown Gap

Investigators identified a pattern of Rodriguez recording similar incidents with men. 

'She then had a history, and we saw it on her phone, where she would document and record interactions with these men, and they would know it. She would take screenshots of all these text messages,' Graf added, WGAL reported. 

Rodriguez was revealed to have allegedly stalked the doctor before their date, according to Graf. 

'At one point, she was driving by one married paramour's house to copy his wife's license plate. She went on Zillow to see what their house looked like, and it hit a point where she was taking videos of herself driving by and texting the to friends, in daytime and nighttime,' Graf said, the outlet reported. 

'That's the level of stalker we're talking about, and when these men break up with her, she then tried to destroy their lives.' 

Prosecutors added that Rodriguez 'cannot be compared to actual victims of sexual violence, as the jury has decided she was no such victim.'

'Veronika Rodriguez ruined the military career and reputation of Fahad Pervez,' Graf added, according to the outlet. 

Graf said that Rodriguez 'stole [Pervez's] career and his future,' and that the former Army doctor continues to receive harassment. 

Protests broke out in March in support of Rodriguez, criticizing Graf and the handling of the case

Protests broke out in March in support of Rodriguez, criticizing Graf and the handling of the case

The pair were questioned by National Guard officials for fraternizing, which is when Rodriguez claimed the man had taken her glasses so she couldn't see properly and that the encounter had not been consensual

The pair were questioned by National Guard officials for fraternizing, which is when Rodriguez claimed the man had taken her glasses so she couldn't see properly and that the encounter had not been consensual

Graf said the protests over her sentencing were an attempt to get around a gag order from the judge at the time

Graf said the protests over her sentencing were an attempt to get around a gag order from the judge at the time

Protests broke out in March in support of Rodriguez, criticizing Graf and the handling of the case. 

A GoFundMe was also created to help Rodriguez, called Veronika’s Voice, Our Fight: Hold Rapists Accountable. 

'Veronika bravely came forward to report her sexual assault in the military, but instead of finding justice, she was wrongfully arrested and charged with filing a false report and wiretapping by the Fort Indiantown Gap Police,' the fundraiser said. 

'Her courage was met with disbelief and accusations, turning her from a victim into a suspect. What was already a deeply traumatic experience became an even greater nightmare, one that her family has struggled to navigate emotionally and financially.' 

In the latest update, funds raised would go toward Rodriguez's appeal process for a retrial. 

As of Thursday, the GoFundMe had raised over $21,000.  

Graf said the protests over her sentencing were an attempt to get around a gag order from the judge at the time, and added that it was 'no coincidence' that law enforcement and members of the jury who saw evidence presented 'all came to the same conclusion.'

'With her lies, Veronika Rodriguez hurt more than just the victim,' Graf said, Fox reported. 

'She undermined every true victim of sexual assault who wants to come forward. She should apologize not only to Fahad Pervez, but to the real victims suffering from sexual trauma.' 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Lebanon County District Attorney's Office for comment. 

Comments (206)

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Timetravel77, Somewhere, United States, 13 minutes ago

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You need to watch out for crazy when dating!

m
majormauser, New York, United States, 3 hours ago

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Soulmate material.

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Ghostrider, Panama City, United States, 4 hours ago

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30 days in jail? Now I see why people don’t have much faith in the justice system anymore! She should serve a minimum of three years.

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