Rochester, N.Y. - Taha Alashwal, 35, will spend the next seven years in prison followed by twelve years on parole.
Alashwal was sentenced on Tuesday morning in accordance to a plea deal he agreed to. Alashwal admits having a sexual encounter with a 14 year-old last summer in a Henrietta Hotel room.
The boy fought Alashwal off and ran to the hotel desk where he called for help.
At the time, Alashwal was the manager of a "Mojo's" restaurant in Rochester. He was also the owner of a restaurant in the Syracuse area.
"Bottom line was that he (the victim) trusted this man, he saw him as a big brother and this defendant violated his trust," said Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Kyle Rossi. "For the victim, many times it's more beneficial for them to know that the person admitted what they did than to come and face them in court."
In Onondaga County, Alashwal faces another sex crime charge for a similar incident involving a 15 year-old boy. That crime dates back a few years. He is expected to plead guilty to that crime as well and serve an overlapping sentence.
"It's a tough decision, my client has a family in Syracuse. It was an emotional decision for him and his family, but given the evidence in the case and given the fact that it would satisfy at least time-wise the Syracuse case, the risk was not really worth it to go to trial given the evidence in this case," said Alashwal's lawyer Matthew Parrinello. "He was facing up to 25 years plus the Syracuse time."
An order of protection for the victim was signed protecting him from Alashwal until at least 2027.
