syracuse.com
By Jim O'Hara / The Post-Standard
Updated: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 9:01 AM

Syracuse, NY - An Iraqi immigrant could face spending much of the rest of his life in state prison after being convicted late Friday of sexually assaulting a woman doing maintenance work in his apartment.

Omar Anwar, 26, of Wilkinson Street, was convicted of two counts of first-degree Omar Anwar, and single counts of first-degree rape, first-degree criminal sexual act, sexual abuse, second-degree unlawful imprisonment and third-degree assault.

According to Assistant District Attorney Janet Fall, the victim had been helping the maintenance worker paint Anwar's apartment for several days when she realized she had left her cell phone charger behind in the residence.

When she returned to retrieve the charger shortly after midnight on May 17, Anwar grabbed her by the hair, dragged her into his bedroom and raped and sodomized her, the prosecutor said.

According to Fall, Anwar's roommate heard a commotion but thought it was just Anwar and his girlfriend arguing as they often did. A downstairs neighbor also heard someone yelling for help but also thought it was just a neighboring couple arguing, the prosecutor said.

Neither called police, Fall said. The victim called police immediately upon returning home after Anwar let her leave his apartment, the prosecutor said.

According to Fall, Anwar claimed he had helped the American military in Iraq before moving to Syria and then coming to this country within the past two years. Defense lawyer Scott Micho said Anwar likely would face death if he were convicted and deported back to Iraq.

But Fall said it was Anwar's roommate who was welcomed into this country for helping the United States in Iraq. She said she believed Anwar was just trying to use his roommate's background as his own to garner sympathy from jurors.

Anwar could face consecutive maximum penalties of 25 years for the rape and criminal sexual act convictions that were delivered around 9:30 p.m. Friday, Fall said Tuesday. He faces deportation after serving any prison sentence, she said.

Onondaga County Judge Joseph Fahey scheduled sentencing for Feb. 7.

Iraqi immigrant faces lengthy prison sentence for rape/sodomy conviction | syracuse.com