Retired Army Maj. Gen. James J. Grazioplene has been charged with rape in Prince William Circuit Court in Virginia. He was arrested on Friday and arraigned on Monday in connection to the alleged assault.
In 2017, he was charged by the Army for raping a minor on multiple occasions between 1983 and 1989. But the case was ultimately dismissed in March by the Army because the statute of limitations for the case had been changed.
Now, part of the case is being pursued in a Virginia court since the state does not have a statute of limitations for rape charges.
The alleged assaults in the new case occurred between Aug. 1, 1987, and May 1, 1988, according to authorities. Thomas Pavlinic, Grazioplene’s lawyer, said that Grazioplene was innocent but did not provide additional comment to the Washington Post. The Army’s chief of public affairs, Brig. Gen. Omar Jones, declined to comment to the Post.
Grazioplene was graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. and went on to serve in the Army for 33 years. His final tour of duty was serving as director of force development for the Joint Warfighting Capabilities Assessment.
