FORMER WOODCLIFF LAKE RABBI CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT

March 28,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Woodcliff Lake NJ, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Dennis Calo announced the arrest of RABBI MENACHEM M. WEISS (DOB: 09/18/1971; married; and employed as a teacher) of 1509 Rexford Drive, Los Angeles, California, on charges of Aggravated Sexual Assault. The arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the Woodcliff Lake Department under the direction of Chief Anthony Jannicelli.

In December 2016, the Woodcliff Lake Police Department received information that a juvenile male was sexually assaulted by Rabbi Menachem WEISS between January and June 1999 while Rabbi WEISS resided in Woodcliff Lake, NJ.

As a result of the investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Woodcliff Lake Police Department, the case was presented to the Bergen County Grand Jury. On Tuesday, March 20, 2018, Rabbi WEISS was indicted on two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2A(2)C, crimes of the 1st degree.

On Thursday, March 22, 2018, Rabbi WEISS was taken into custody by the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey Police Department and transported to the Bergen County Jail where he is being held pending a detention hearing on March 26, 2018, at 9:00 A.M.

Acting Prosecutor Calo states that the charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and would like to thank the Woodcliff Lake Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.