Molestation Charge Refiled Against Rabbi
Federal prosecutors have revived their case against a New York rabbi accused of fondling a teenage girl on an international airline flight last year.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles has filed a misdemeanor count of abusive sexual contact against Rabbi Israel Grunwald, the leader of a branch of a New York-based Hasidic sect.
Grunwald faced the same charge last year but it was dismissed by prosecutors, who retained the option of refiling.
Grunwald and an assistant, Yehudah Friedlander, were arrested in May 1995 at Los Angeles International Airport after the 15-year-old girl told authorities the men molested her on a flight from Australia.
Friedlander pleaded guilty to charges and was sentenced to 22 months in prison this year. The charge against Grunwald carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
