Third District Judge Robert Hilder sentenced Azlen Adieu Farquoit Marchet to a 5-years-to-life term, but the prospect of long years at the Utah State Prison appeared to have little affect on the alleged serial date rapist's attitude.
As bailiffs escorted Marchet from the courtroom, he nodded and smiled broadly at family members, and blew a kiss to a woman sitting with them.
Marchet, 30, was convicted by a jury in August of first-degree felony rape for assaulting a 20-year-old he met five years ago at a Salt Lake City nightclub and invited to his apartment to watch a video.
Prosecutor Michaela Andruzzi said Marchet's family had characterized him in letters to the judge as a "polite, respectful, law-abiding citizen" who was accused because he is black.
But Andruzzi called Marchet "a violent rapist" who brutally beat a woman in Colorado last year while he was out on bail.
She said Corrections department evaluators rated his risk to re-offend sexually as medium-to-high.
Evaluators also said Marchet "believes he is a special person who deserves great admiration," and who feels he has gotten "a raw deal from life," according to Andruzzi.
Marchet did not speak at the Friday sentencing hearing, but defense attorney Ron Yengich told the judge Marchet still maintains he and the victim had consensual sex.
Yengich also filed a request for a new trial, claiming jurors should not have heard testimony from two other alleged victims.
After the hearing, the victim of the 2002 rape said, "Justice prevailed and we're happy he's going to prison. Hopefully, he'll be off the streets for a long time."
The woman had testified she repeatedly told Marchet "No," but said the 6-foot, 6-inch man, who then weighed about 260 pounds, used his body to pin her to the bed and stop her from struggling.
The two other women testified they met Marchet in a similar way and were raped in a similar manner. Utah law allows testimony of other alleged crimes to show a defendant had a scheme or specific modus operandi.
Marchet still faces prosecution in connection with three other sexual assaults and an aggravated assault, crimes which allegedly occurred between 2002 and 2005.
Last year, he was acquitted of rape in a trial with testimony from only the alleged victim.That woman was one of those allowed to testify at the August trial.
