ALBANY — Walking into an Albany County courtroom, with a wink and a nod to his lawyer, Robert J. Coffey was arraigned once again on rape charges yesterday. Coffey, who appeared very calm and comfortable in his orange prison jumpsuit, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Last week Coffey, 28, was arraigned on charges of rape and imprisonment of a 14-year-old girl. This week, he was arraigned on similar charges against a 19-year-old woman.

The second alleged victim came forward after seeing Coffey’s face on a news broadcast, according to the office of Albany County District Attorney David Soares.

Coffey, who lived in a Guilderland trailer park at 333 Church Rd., was indicted last week and, on Wednesday, he was arraigned for first-degree rape, second-degree kidnapping, and second-degree unlawful imprisonment.
"Coffey grabbed his female victim, forced her into his truck, prevented her from leaving his truck and/or trailer, took her to an undisclosed place while she was unconscious and had sexual intercourse with her," Soares said in a statement.

During last week’s arraignment, Coffey pleaded not guilty to all charges as well. Both incidents are alleged to have happened at or around Coffey’s Guilderland trailer park home. Assistant Albany County District Attorney Rebecca Bauscher is prosecuting the case.

Last week, The Enterprise asked Soares’s spokesman, Richard Arthur, if the district attorney was open to a plea bargain in the case. He declined comment, saying only, "We expect this to equal a lot of jail time for [Coffey]."
"We’re not really worried about these [new] charges," said Kent Sprotbery, Coffey’s attorney, after the arraignment.
Sprotbery said his client is maintaining his innocence and is still looking forward to a jury hearing his case. Sprotbery called the timing of the new charges "interesting," and said he believes that his client is being used as a publicity pawn by Soares.
"The grand jury is being used to grandstand for the D.A.’s office," said Sprotbery. Coffey’s attorney reiterated that the timing of the new charges were suspicious, and his client will show his side of the story to a jury at trial.
"Coffey is a dangerous sexual predator and we will attempt to have him incarcerated for as long as possible," said Soares in a statement. His office did not return a call from The Enterprise Wednesday.

In the first case, based on an arrest by Guilderland Police in September, Coffey is accused of raping his 14-year-old neighbor and holding her against her will at his home in the Brockley Trailer Park.

The district attorney’s office says that Coffey told the 14-year-old he had a gun and would kill her if she tried to leave, then bound her wrists and raped her. She went home and her parent called the police after which she was taken to the hospital for treatment, Guilderland Police said in September.

Guilderland Police also found cocaine in Coffey’s possession when they took him into custody, according to his arrest report. Coffey had been arrested in another state, for conspiracy to distribute drugs, Guilderland Police said in September, and hadn’t been in town for long.

Coffey had been working at Jiffy Lube on Western Avenue for a few weeks during the summer, his boss there said in September.

If convicted on all charges, in both cases, Coffey could face up to 75 years in prison.

Coffey is scheduled to appear before Judge Stephen W. Herrick on Feb. 2 at the Albany County Court. Judge Thomas A. Breslin presided over Wednesday’s arraignment because Herrick is out of court for the week. Coffey’s original arraignment was before Herrick, and he will be appearing before him again in February.
"We are looking forward to trial," said Sprotbery.