Defendant testifies in sex assault trial

Matthew Schaffer admitted to one crime but denied another when he took the stand Thursday to answer sexual assault and other charges.

“I’m not happy to admit it, but I was a weed dealer for many years,” said Schaffer, charged with breaking into a Wheeling condominium last year, raping a woman at knife and gunpoint and stealing her wedding ring and Cartier watch, among other items.

But the Highland Park native denied he raped the now 31-year-old physician early on May 23, 2010.

Contradicting the woman’s testimony that she had never met him, Schaffer, 33, testified he met her in December 2009 when she called him to buy marijuana. He said the woman got the number for the “throwaway” cellphone he used for business from a downtown bouncer who he claims referred customers to him. Schaffer said he picked the woman up in his car outside a Gold Coast restaurant and drove to a parking garage where he sold her $60 worth of pot. Schaffer said the woman, who lives in another state, called him several months later, looking to buy marijuana. This time, he said, the woman described domination fantasies to him, and the two had a sexual encounter.

Schaffer testified the woman called him again at about 9 p.m. on May 22, 2010, “looking to get weed again” and “hoping we could hook up.” About 2 a.m. she called him again and told him to meet her where she was staying, he said. He arrived with a bag containing a toy gun, handcuffs and marijuana, said Schaffer, who claimed he climbed onto the balcony of the second-floor unit rather than come to the door to avoid waking the homeowners. He said she let him into the condo where he handcuffed her tightly while they had sex.

He contradicted the woman’s testimony, saying he did not wear gloves and a mask made of pantyhose. He denied threatening to kill the woman; menacing her with a knife and gun (later determined to be a toy); cutting her clothes off and raping her. He also denied slicing open the screen door to enter the condo.

Schaffer testified the woman became nervous and told him to leave, which he did after she gave him $100 and the Cartier watch in payment for the pot, he said. The next day, he pawned the watch for $500 at a Chicago pawnshop and discarded the “throwaway” phone, he said.

Wheeling police testified DNA found on the woman’s T-shirt matched Schaffer and that the serial number on the Cartier watch Schaffer pawned matched the missing watch. Police also recovered the toy gun, a film canister with suspected cannabis and black women’s pantyhose from Schaffer’s car.

A long pause followed Schaffer’s direct examination. Then Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Clarke stood to address the defendant.

“Have you been smoking some of your special cannabis today?” said Clarke.

“I think you’re mixing up some of your fantasies,” said Clarke, accusing Schaffer of lying.

Earlier, Wheeling detective Ignacio Oropeza testified that while he fingerprinted Schaffer on June 3, 2010, the defendant stated, “I should have killed that girl.”

Glancing at a surveillance camera, Schaffer remarked, “I shouldn’t have said that in a police station,” Oropeza said.

Schaffer denied making the statements. Testimony continues Friday in Rolling Meadows.