A Massachusetts woman has initiated legal action against the town of Hopkinton, accusing local authorities of negligence. She claims they allowed a business to be operated by a criminal immigrant with a documented history of workplace sexual violence, which led to her assault when she was just 16 years old.

The case, which moved to federal court on January 5, involves Greek national Petros “Peter” Sismanis, who is currently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Court documents reveal that Sismanis was convicted in June 2025 for sexually assaulting the plaintiff in 2023 while she was employed at Hillers Pizza.

The lawsuit highlights that Sismanis had prior accusations dating back to 1998, involving rape, indecent assault, and battery on female minors, which led to his registration as a sex offender. According to NBC Boston, he had previously assaulted two employees at a donut shop he operated in Hopkinton.

The now 19-year-old plaintiff argues that officials in Hopkinton, along with the police chief and Hillers Pizza, contributed to a sexually hostile work environment. She asserts that town officials were aware, or should have been aware, of Sismanis’s criminal background when he renewed Hillers Pizza’s license in 2016, a process involving multiple town departments, including the police.

Following the accusations of sexual assault against an underage employee in 2023, Hillers Pizza, owned by Petros “Peter” Sismanis, permanently shut its doors in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

The plaintiff is 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’ prior record, the town approved the license renewal, the lawsuit alleges, endangering the female minors Sismanis often hired.

The owner of Hillers Pizza, Petros “Peter” Sismanis, is in ICE custody after several sexual assault convictions in Hopkinton, Mass. (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.

Greek national Petros “Peter” Sismanis is in ICE custody in California after 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. After his conviction, he was placed in ICE custody “as a result of his questionable immigration status” and is being held in a facility in California.

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

In 1997, Sismanis was also 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 from previous years must contact local police department.

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