All charges against Leor Kweller, one of the defendants in the Colonial case, were thrown out in Binghamton City Court.
Kweller, accused of raping a 19-year-old woman, was charged alongside his brother, Yaron Kweller, and Jordan Rindgen — two former owners of The Colonial, a popular Downtown restaurant that has since closed. Charges against Rindgen — also indicted for the criminal possession and sale of a controlled substance — and Yaron Kweller, who both previously held ownership shares in Dos Rios Cantina and The Stone Fox, remain pending. The decision was issued by Binghamton City Court Judge Carol Cocchiola, who is presiding over the case.
The motion to dismiss was filed in February after lawyers for the defendants argued that text conversations indicated that the sex was consensual. At the time, Broome County District Attorney (DA) representatives maintained that the conversations were taken out of context, referencing court documents that contained testimony indicating “forcible compulsion.”
Shortly after the decision, a statement from Leor Kweller’s defense team, published by WIVT, celebrated the ruling, claiming that prosecutors pursued a case with incomplete information.
“From day one, [Kweller] has adamantly denied the allegations and maintained his innocence,” the statement said. “The charges against our client were initiated before a thorough investigation was finished and should never have been filed. The unrelenting and thorough defense investigation confirmed that our client was legally and factually innocent. […] truth and justice required a complete dismissal of all charges.”
Broome County DA Michael Korchak cited Cocchiola’s review of grand jury testimony as the basis for the dismissal. Survivors, including numerous former employees, first came forward in December 2021. In response to the accusations, community members, local activists and Binghamton University students organized a “Downtown Shutdown,” in protest against the restaurant owners. The march was also in response to perceived insensitivity by managers at the establishments amid plans to reopen.
Rindgen and the Kweller brothers were arrested by the Binghamton Police Department (BPD) in February 2022 in connection with the sexual assault, which allegedly occurred in the basement of RentBing — a real estate company on Washington Street owned by Yaron Kweller. A grand jury then brought felony charges in April 2022, ultimately leading to the closure of Dos Rios Cantina and The Colonial. The Stone Fox remains open.
Kenny Pasato, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, expressed his skepticism about the judicial developments.
“Seeing the charges dropped against [Kweller] raises a lot of questions,” Pasato said. “I hope the victims get justice and that the truth comes out.”
In a statement to local media outlets, Korchak conveyed his support for the survivors. He added that his office was considering next steps, which could include appealing the decision to a higher court or presenting the case to a new grand jury.
Editor’s note (6/5/23): An earlier version of this article stated Leor Kweller was accused of sexual contact with two women. He was accused of sexual contact with one woman. In addition, the article stated Leor Kweller was charged for providing a woman with cocaine. This is incorrect. He never received any drug charges. Pipe Dream regrets the error. The article has been corrected.