Former Hopkinton man charged for alleged 2005 sexual assault following cold case investigation
Published on Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha and Hopkinton Police Chief Mark J. Carrier today announced that a former Hopkinton man has been charged in Washington County District Court with two counts of first-degree sexual assault following his arrest on August 18, 2026, stemming from a joint investigation by the Office of the Attorney General and the Hopkinton Police Department, with assistance from the Woonsocket Police Department and the Connecticut State Police.
On August 19, 2026, the defendant, Robert Czerwein (age 41), was arraigned and charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault.
“Our cold case prosecutors and investigators are using advanced genetic testing technology to support traditional investigative efforts that continue to advance the arc of justice for victims and families in Rhode Island,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Today we are announcing an important step in an investigation that went cold decades ago despite the best police efforts. I am grateful for the hard work of our team and the Hopkinton Police Department which has allowed us to file charges against this defendant, based on the allegations described in documents we filed in court today.”
In court documents filed in 4th Division District Court today, the defendant is alleged to have sexually assaulted a 45-year-old victim, unknown to him, using force or coercion on or about January 5, 2005, in the town of Hopkinton.
Following the alleged sexual assault, the Hopkinton Police Department conducted an investigation that soon went cold. In 2026, the Office of the Attorney General and the Hopkinton Police Department reopened the investigation, employing new forensic DNA analysis and investigative techniques that identified the defendant as a potential suspect. Investigators also developed a connection between the defendant and an alleged unsolved sexual assault in Connecticut in 2005.
“Cases like this are painful for our community, especially when the trail runs cold,” said Hopkinton Police Chief Mark J. Carrier. “Serious crimes of this nature have a lasting impact on the officers and detectives tasked with their investigation. Many of those who began working on this case 21 years ago have since retired, yet they continue to remain engaged, following our progress closely. These cases are never truly forgotten; they leave an enduring mark not only on the victims but also on the professionals dedicated to seeking justice. I am grateful to our officers and detectives, as well as the Attorney General’s cold case investigators, for relentlessly pursing justice on behalf of the victims and families that have long deserved answers.”
The defendant was held without bail and is scheduled for a status conference on September 2, 2026.
RIAG Cold Case Unit
Unsolved cold cases leave victims seeking justice and closure for years and, in many cases, decades. In 2023, Attorney General Neronha requested state funding to add Office staff for the specific purpose of assisting in the investigation of cold cases that many police departments lacked the resources to continue to pursue on their own. The General Assembly provided the requested funding, and the unit was established later that year.
The Office’s Cold Case Unit is comprised of prosecutors, investigators, and staff, including a certified forensic genealogist, who support state and local police departments in their investigations, adding value in the pursuit of justice for victims and their loved ones. Since its inception, our Cold Case Unit has documented more than 150 cold cases. The Unit has also assisted police departments with 13 cold case homicides, which has included creating digital cases files, securing DNA samples, sending items for testing, and reviewing case files for potential next steps. In 2025, our Cold Case Unit resolved two decades-old homicide cold cases.
To learn more about the Office’s Cold Case Unit, please visit our website.
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