As she sat behind bars in the Nassau County jail for almost seven months, Seemona Sumasar's emotions veered from anger to fear to resignation.
"As much as I knew I was one hundred percent innocent, I didn't know if I would see the light of day again," said Sumasar, 35, as she sat in her attorney's office in Mineola.
The mom from Far Rockaway was freed last week after Nassau prosecutors concluded she had been framed for a series of armed robberies.
The alleged mastermind was her former boyfriend, Jerry Ramrattan, 38, of East Elmhurst, according to prosecutors. Sumara had blamed him all along.
"I am glad because everyone looked at me like a drama queen," said Sumara. "No one believed me."
Ramrattan has been charged with perjury and conspiracy, according to Nassau prosecutors. He is accused of offering cash to two "victims" who called 911 to report being robbed at gunpoint by a woman posing as a police officer.
Both even identified Sumara's car, said prosecutors.
Now, however, Terrell Lovell and Luz Johnson have confessed to making up the robbery stories, according to the Nassau DA's office.
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The case fell apart, Sumara said, when a photo turned up placing her at a Connecticut casino at the very time one of the alleged robberies was reported on Long Island.
Why the alleged frame-up? Ramrattan is facing rape charges in Queens for allegedly attacking his ex-girlfriend in September, 2009 and wanted to stop her from testifying against him, according to Sumara.
Ramrattan stalked and threatened Sumara and even filed false complaints that brought the IRS and health department to the restaurant she owned in Queens, according to her lawyer Anthony Grandinette. But, Sumara persisted in her intention to prosecute him.
Ramrattan is held on bail in Queens after pleading not guilty to rape charges. He has also pleaded not guilty to charges in Nassau county. His lawyer did not return calls for comment.
Sumara expects to have all the criminal charges against her dropped early next year. But her stint in jail cost her in many ways. She was separated for months from her daughter, 12. In addition, her home has lapsed into foreclosure and her restaurant has closed.
"If anybody had looked at this seriously, they would have uncovered it six months ago," said Grandinette, who suggested that prosecutorial ineffectiveness contributed to the length of time it took to uncover the truth..
"I trust nothing the police department does," added Sumasar.
"Any suggestion this could have been done sooner flies in the face of the facts," said Nassau DA spokesperson, Carole Trottere, who also accused Grandinette of "grandstanding."
It's unclear if Sumara will file a civil suit against police and prosecutors.
She did vow to rebuild her life.
"I will just try to start over again because I have nothing left."
