Last summer, a Broome County judge dismissed all criminal charges against Leor Kweller, whose 2022 arrest in connection with an alleged sexual assault shook the Binghamton community.

Now, Kweller and his legal team have filed a Notice of Claim, a document that is a prerequisite to initiating civil claims against local governments and government agencies in New York state.

The document, reviewed by Pipe Dream, names Broome County, the city of Binghamton, the Binghamton Police Department and the Broome County District Attorney’s Office, among other individuals, and accuses respondents of violating Kweller’s civil rights and denying him due process. It claims $50 million in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages. Its authenticity was confirmed by Juda Engelmayer, the president of HeraldPR, a New York City-based firm.

A press release shared by one of Kweller’s lawyers, Andrea Zellan of Brafman & Associates P.C., said Kweller was “relieved and grateful that his wrongful prosecution has ended” and that respondents’ actions had led to severe consequences — “costing him his job, ruining his stellar reputation, and causing serious emotional and financial harm.”

“It is his hope that his experience will result in real change that prevents future miscarriages of justice,” the release continued.

The Broome County District Attorney’s Office and the rest of Kweller’s legal team did not respond to a request for comment. A Binghamton government representative said they were unable to comment on an ongoing legal matter.

After Kweller’s February 2022 arrest alongside his brother Yaron and Jordan Rindgen — both part owners of several popular Downtown Binghamton restaurants — a grand jury returned indictments in April of that year. The charges were brought in connection with an incident in the basement of 141 Washington St.

The arrests led to a protest attended by several students and the ultimate closure of Dos Rios Cantina and The Colonial. A third restaurant, The Stone Fox, remains open.

On Oct. 31, 2023, after less than two hours of deliberations, a Broome County jury delivered a “not guilty” verdict for the charges against Yaron Kweller and Rindgen. An attorney for the defense cast the case as unfounded and legally unsupported, accusing local prosecutors of misconduct and malicious intent.

The District Attorney’s Office, under its former head prosecutor, appealed the June decision to dismiss the charges against Kweller. In April of this year, the appeal was denied.

According to the New York Judiciary, at least 30 days must pass after a Notice of Claim is filed before a civil lawsuit can be initiated.