MANHATTAN, N.Y. — A Manhattan man has been sentenced to 20 years in state prison for following a 21-year-old woman into her Upper West Side apartment building and raping her in March 2023, prosecutors announced.

Jamel McIver, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree rape on October 10, 2024, in New York State Supreme Court. His sentencing, announced Monday by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., follows what officials described as a violent and terrifying attack.

According to court documents and McIver’s admission in his guilty plea, the assault occurred in the early hours of March 4, 2023. The victim was returning home near West 64th Street and Amsterdam Avenue at approximately 1:20 a.m. when McIver followed her into the building elevator. He threatened the woman, dragged her into a stairwell, and sexually assaulted and raped her.

McIver continued to threaten the victim during the assault, forcing her down multiple staircases and outside the building before releasing her. He then fled the scene after discarding his jacket and sweatshirt.

“Jamel McIver viciously threatened and raped a woman in the building she called home, causing indescribable fear and pain that she and her loved ones still endure today,” said District Attorney Bragg. “I thank this brave survivor for coming forward and sincerely hope the resolution of this case can offer her a sense of justice.”

In addition to his prison sentence, McIver will be subject to post-release supervision upon completing his term.

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