(Cleveland Jewish News via JTA) A Cleveland-area rabbi was arrested and suspended from his congregation after allegedly engaging in explicit online conversations and attempting to meet with an undercover investigator posing as a 15-year-old boy. Stephen Weiss will be sentenced on Feb. 27 by Judge Emily Hagan. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A judge on Monday sentenced the former longtime rabbi of a Pepper Pike synagogue to prison following his arrest as part of an underage sex sting. It's time to celebrate the sweet frozen grape and Northeast Ohio's award winning Ice Wine. On April 19, 2022, the rabbi posted a $50,000 bond. Officers searched Weisss car and found a box of condoms, two bottles of lubricant, and one bottle of ED medication containing a single pill, the prosecutors office stated. Weiss was charged with one count of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, one count of importuning (soliciting sexual services) and one count of possessing criminal tools, according to the prosecutors office. Los Angeles County has agreed to pay Vanessa Bryant and her three daughters nearly $29 million to settle the lawsuit over the dissemination of graphic photos from the January 2020 helicopter crash that killed her husband and former Lakers star Kobe Bryant, their 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others. Officers searched Weiss car and found a box of condoms, two bottles of lubricant, and one bottle of ED medication containing a single pill, the prosecutors office stated. According to the court docket, as a condition of his jail release, he is required to wear a GPS standard monitoring device. newsletter. Fox 8's Kenny Crumpton gets all the details on this year's festival that includes the wineries of the Grand River Valley Debonn Vineyards, Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Grand River Cellars Winery.https://www.grandrivercellars.com/upcoming-events/festivals/ice-wine-festival/ We look forward to receiving the evidence and moving forward appropriately," Goldberg said in statement about the resignation. Cleveland's Own: Gabby Neuroth featured on FOX 8 in the morning on March 1, 2023. Agents also searched his car and seized a box of condoms and two bottles of lubricant, according to court records. Rabbi Stephen Weiss, of B'nai Jeshurun Congregation in . Weiss nearly broke down in tears twice as he told Hagan that the incident shattered my world., I have dedicated my entire life to protecting children, Weiss said. Pepper Pike was incorporated as a city in 1970. The Rabbinical Assembly, the international body of the Conservative/Masorti Jewish movement, suspended Weiss on April 25. Goldberg said he hopes to put Weisss actions in the context of a lifetime of good works and leadership and provide a neurological explanation for the crime at his sentencing hearing. It is home to Ohios oldest Catholic womens collegeUrsuline College, a liberal-arts school founded in 1871. Abu Dhabi The agent later clarified that he was a freshman and 15 years old. Pepper Pike rabbi pleads guilty to exchanging sexual messages with person he thought was teen, Melt Bar & Grilled closes 2 Ohio locations, Ohio Gov. He is also eligible for probation. The longtime rabbi is accused of sending. He didnt want his identity to be known.. In April 2022, Weiss resigned from his position at Bnai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike. Investigators found condoms and a bottle of erectile dysfunction medication in his car. ONE Super Series Rabbi Stephen Weiss, who served as an assistant rabbi at Ahavath Achim Synagogue from July 1990 to June 1997, had been the senior rabbi at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun, in Pepper Pike, Ohio, since 2001. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. . The longtime rabbi at B'nai Jeshurun in Pepper Pike resigned last week following his arrest in connection with a sex sting. It is adapted here with permission. In April 2001, he started leading B'nai Jeshurun, a congregation on Fairmount Road in Pepper Pike. PEPPER PIKE, Ohio A 60-year-old Pepper Pike rabbi, accused of engaging in sexually explicit online conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old boy, has resigned,. The day after Weisss arrest, his congregation announced in an email to congregants that it had suspended him from his position and barred him from the premises. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. via JTA) A Cleveland-area rabbi was arrested and suspended from his congregation after allegedly engaging in explicit online conversations and attempting to meet with an undercover investigator posing as a 15-year-old boy. China We acted quickly to suspend Rabbi Weiss immediately as Senior Rabbi. Sentencing for Pepper Pike rabbi who sent sexual messages to person he thought was underage, Melt Bar & Grilled closes 2 Ohio locations, Ohio Gov. Weiss did not end up trying to meet up with the agent, and he was not charged. Weiss was senior rabbi at Bnai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Change). Virginia Neither Weiss nor his attorney returned a Cleveland Jewish News request for comment. Represented by Michael J. Goldberg of The Goldberg Law Firm in Cleveland, Ohio, Weiss was charged with one count each of attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, importuning and possessing criminal tools. The investigator told Weiss that he was in high school, and Weiss asked whether he was in school that day. Cleveland's Own: Gabby Neuroth featured on FOX 8 in the morning on March 1, 2023. Pepper Pike rabbi resigns after arrest. Pepper Pike rabbi to be sentenced on sex charges News / Feb 27, 2023 / 08:28 AM EST 61-year-old Stephen Weiss faces up to 2.5 years behind bars. Kevin Belingon Testimony ahead of sentencing for longime rabbi on sex crimes. Winds from the south will bring a nice warm-up by tomorrow afternoon. "Regardless of the evidence or whether Rabbi Weiss is guilty of anything, his remaining in his position would cause further disruption and pain to his community. The synagogue conducted its own investigation and concluded that Weiss did not engage in any criminal activity within the synagogue community, the Cleveland Jewish News reported. As a condition of Weisss release from jail, he is required to wear a global positioning system (GPS) standard monitoring device. Not to be rude, but the ladies at Arcadia Senior Living in Bowling Green are absolutely prepared to take on Rihanna. Ohio Published: Jan. 26, 2023 at 9:13 AM PST CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A Pepper Pike rabbi pleaded guilty to attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and possessing criminal tools in Cuyahoga. https://www.grandrivercellars.com/upcoming-events/festivals/ice-wine-festival/, It's time to celebrate the sweet frozen grape and Northeast Ohio's award winning Ice Wine. Tennessee A copy of the complaint says that agents also seized a Samsung cellphone and Smart Watch, as well as a bottle of ED medication that prosecutors say Weiss intended to use criminally. He will now turn his attention to his legal situation. Weiss also asked the agent to move their conversation to an encrypted text messaging application because its safer there.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Last few hours of February! Georgia Weiss, 61, pleaded guilty last month to attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and importuning stemming from his April arrest by investigators with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children task force. He then traveled to a pre-arranged location in Cuyahoga County to engage in sexual activity with whom he thought was a teenager, said Cuyahoga County prosecutors. Firefighters find over 50 animals, including foxes and snakes, in Youngstown house. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Illinois In the Toledo area last month, Rabbi David Kaufman was arrested after being accused of rape. Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on April 20, 2022. Rabbi Stephen Weiss, who has served as senior rabbi at Bnai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike, Ohio, since 2001, was arrested Monday evening by law enforcement officers with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. BRAVE Combat Federation Weiss arrest shocked members of both the Pepper Pike synagogue and a synagogue in Atlanta where he served as assistant rabbi from 1990 to 1997, according to the Atlanta Jewish Times. Los Angeles County has agreed to pay Vanessa Bryant and her three daughters nearly $29 million to settle the lawsuit over the dissemination of graphic photos from the January 2020 helicopter crash that killed her husband and former Lakers star Kobe Bryant, their 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others. All rights reserved. Defense attorney Michael Goldberg told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer that Weiss has taken responsibility for his actions. CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A Pepper Pike rabbi was sentenced in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas to six months in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and possessing criminal tools. Team Lakay The longtime rabbi is accused of sending explicit messages to a police officer he thought was a 15-year-old boy. PEPPER PIKE, Ohio (WOIO) - Pepper Pike Rabbi Stephen Weiss, 60, was arrested after allegedly engaging in sexually explicit online conversations with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old boy on a social networking app, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office confirmed. By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA.org. Last few hours of February! Stephen Weiss, who had preached from the pulpit of Bnai Jeshurun for two decades until his April arrest, pleaded guilty to attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, a fourth-degree felony, and possessing criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony. Weiss was a rabbi of B'nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike for more than 20 years, which released the following statement about the situation last year: "B'nai Jeshurun Congregation's. Goldberg also said that Weiss had already lost his job and the respect and trust of members of the Jewish community who for years looked up to Weiss. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Weiss was arrested in April 2022 after engaging in sexually explicit online conversations with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old boy. An. https://www.grandrivercellars.com/upcoming-events/festivals/ice-wine-festival/, It's time to celebrate the sweet frozen grape and Northeast Ohio's award winning Ice Wine. He knew it was wrong, Radigan said. PEPPER PIKE, Ohio Police have arrested a 60-year-old Greater Cleveland rabbi after he allegedly arranged to have sex with a teenager. According to court records, Stephen Weiss allegedly went to a location in Cuyahoga County to engage in sexual activity with the undercover officer posing as a teenager. Officers searched Weisss car and found a box of condoms, two bottles of lubricant, and one bottle of ED medication containing a single pill. Nevada Weiss also asked whether there were any security cameras at his house. Stephen Weiss, 60,of Pepper Pike, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States is a rabbi. Rabbi Stephen Weiss, of B'nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike, has been arrested. Stephen Weiss, 61, of Pepper Pike, on Thursday . 2023 jewish telegraphic agency all rights reserved. Elan Ganeles, American killed in West Bank attack, remembered for his wit and friendship, As Orthodox Union and other Jewish groups condemn settler rampage, many avoid mentioning Benjamin Netanyahu, Planned Day of Hate against Jews passes by with packed synagogues and no violence, Red Sox exec Chaim Bloom says hes received antisemitism over teams woes, Jewish comedian Modi Rosenfeld says he still has plenty of Orthodox fans after opening up about being gay, ESPNs Jeff Passan opens up on his Hebrew school upbringing, interviewing Sandy Koufax and Jewish baseball history, Why American Eagle now has a mezuzah at its Times Square flagship. Stephen Weiss, 60, of Pepper Pike, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States is a rabbi. The arrest comes amid a spate of recent revelations about misdeeds by rabbis in Ohio. Filipino MMA fighters Fairmount Temple Rabbi Stephen Weiss , B'nai Jeshurun Congregation. They agreed to meet up at a house, where Weiss believed the boy would be. Mike DeWine returns for updates in East Palestine, FORECAST | Another surge in temps with highs topping 60 degrees, 3 skyscraper-sized asteroids making approach to Earth this week. Stephen Weiss's Phone Number and Email Last Update. Minnesota Video sent to the FOX 8 newsroom from a viewer shows flames shooting from the roof of the Burger King on N. Ridge Road. Richard Belzer was a Jewish comedian. New Jersey CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A judge on Monday sentenced the former longtime rabbi of a Pepper Pike synagogue to prison following his arrest as part of an underage sex sting. 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The 60-year-old had traveled to a pre-arranged location to allegedly engage in sexual activity with the purported child, after communicating on a social networking app. Not to be rude, but the ladies at Arcadia Senior Living in Bowling Green are absolutely prepared to take on Rihanna. Weiss, 61, must register as a sex offender every six months for 25 years as a result of the plea. The arrest comes amid a spate of recent revelations about misdeeds by rabbis in Ohio. Mike DeWine suffered injury while in East Palestine, Court hearing for Eastlake City Council president arrested in human trafficking sting, Ohio Gov. he community severed ties to Adland after the release of the national report. Upon announcing his arrest last year, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office said Weiss "engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old boy on a social networking app. Richard Bain is the incumbent mayor of the city. 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