Rape Charges Against Couple Are Dropped

An investment banker who could have faced 120 years in prison for allegedly drugging and raping two women at his Bel-Air mansion collapsed in sobs of relief Tuesday when the prosecution unexpectedly dropped those charges against him and his girlfriend.

Responding to a stunning reversal, Joseph Simon Arsenault, 40, fell to his knees in a Santa Monica courtroom and cried when he learned that mounting inconsistencies in the stories of his two accusers had caused prosecutors to abandon all charges except a minor drug possession allegation against him and Heather Lynn Moe, 24.

Investigators originally alleged that the couple used the so-called date rape drug GHB to sedate two women they met in clubs in West Hollywood, and took the women to Arsenault’s home for sex. But under intense cross-examination by defense lawyers, the two alleged victims admitted in court that they had been voluntarily drinking large amounts of alcohol and using cocaine with the couple during the incidents--details they previously did not tell police or prosecutors. It also was learned in court that neither woman tested positive for GHB.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Laura Maglinger announced during the preliminary hearing Tuesday that she was dropping the rape case. “If I had known about these inconsistencies, I would not have prosecuted,” she said.

Only one charge of possession of cocaine remained against the couple, who were ordered released from custody. Defense attorney James Blatt said that since neither defendant has a criminal record, they would probably be ordered to undergo counseling.