Massachusetts town faces lawsuit for allowing criminal immigrant, sex offender to renew business license

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The lawsuit, transferred to federal court on Jan. 5, names Greek national Petros "Peter" Sismanis, who is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. According to court documents, Sismanis was convicted in June 2025 for the 2023 sexual assault of the plaintiff while she worked at Hillers Pizza.

The complaint also notes that Sismanis was previously accused in 1998 of rape, indecent assault and battery involving female minors, which resulted in his registration as a sex offender. NBC Boston reported that he assaulted two employees while operating a donut shop in Hopkinton.

The plaintiff, now 19, claimed Hopkinton officials, the police chief and Hillers Pizza all played a role in fostering a sexually hostile work environment. She alleges that town officials knew, or should have known, about Sismanis’s criminal history when he renewed Hillers Pizza’s license in 2016 — a process that requires review by multiple town departments, including the police.  

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Hillers Pizza permanently closes after owner Petros "Peter" Sismanis was accused of sexually assaulting an underage female employee in 2023 in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. (Google Maps)

The plaintiff is now seeking $1 million in damages, according to Boston.com. 

"There is no record of Hopkinton police or Chief Bennett ever raising questions about Sismanis’ ability to operate the pizza shop, even though he was a registered sex offender," court documents state. Despite Sismanis’s prior record, the town approved the license renewal, the lawsuit alleges, endangering the female minors Sismanis often hired.

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The owner of Hillers Pizza, Petros "Peter" Sismanis, is currently in ICE custody following several sexual assault convictions in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. (Google Maps)

An attorney representing Hopkinton officials said the town acted appropriately at the time of the license renewal.

"While Town and police officials are sympathetic to the circumstances of what happened to the Plaintiff, the Town and Police acted appropriately and constitutionally under the circumstances presented and known to them at the time," Douglas Louison, a lawyer representing Hopkinton officials, told Boston.com.

In 2023, the plaintiff alleged that Sismanis lured her into the pizza shop’s basement, where he forcefully kissed and hugged her. After the teen called her mother, Sismanis reportedly begged them not to involve the police, saying "he would rather be killed than have the police involved," according to documents. The lawsuit also claims that he blocked the mother’s car to prevent them from leaving.

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Greek national Petros "Peter" Sismanis is currently under ICE custody in California following his sexual assault convictions. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

"Sismanis lured Isabelle into the basement of Hillers Pizza while she was working her shift and proceeded to sexually assault her against her will," court papers said. "Isabelle, who was only sixteen years of age at the time, was terrified, frozen in fear and did not know what to do."

Sismanis was convicted in June 2025 on charges of indecent assault, battery and witness intimidation. He was sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to register as a sex offender. Following his conviction, he was placed in ICE custody "as a result of his questionable immigration status" and is currently held in a facility in California.

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Prior to the 2023 assault, the lawsuit said Hopkinton police reportedly received several complaints from female employees at Sismanis’s business regarding his conduct.

In 1997, Sismanis was also previously charged with rape, indecent assault and battery on a person older than 14, court records show. NBC Boston reported that he sexually assaulted two of his employees while running a donut shop in Hopkinton. 

His later guilty plea to two counts of indecent assault and battery required him to register as a Level 2 sex offender. Boston.com, however, reported that the online Sex Offender Registry Board only includes offenders classified after July 2013, and noted that anyone seeking information prior must contact their local police department.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more information.

Bonny Chu is a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital.

Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/massachusetts-town-faces-lawsuit-allowing-criminal-immigrant-sex-offender-renew-business-license