A businessman who was featured on the Bravo reality show “The Millioinaire Matchmaker” was cleared Tuesday, after being charged with rape.
Michael Leslie Bernback’s attorney, Blair Berk, told TheWrap in a statement that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has chosen to drop the charges against Bernback.
Berk added that Bernback, who maintained his innocence “from the start,” will “attempt to regain his reputation and put this terrible ordeal behind him.”
“Michael Leslie Bernback was vindicated today when the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office asked the Court to dismiss all charges against him. Mr. Bernback maintained his innocence from the start. His attorneys presented evidence to prosecutors that contradicted the claims of his accusers and requested that the Los Angeles District Attorney undertake a thorough re-examination of the case, initially investigated by the LAPD,” Berk’s statement read.
“It is now clear that Mr. Bernback should have never been arrested and charged. Moving forward, Mr. Bernback will attempt to regain his reputation and put this terrible ordeal behind him,” Berk continued.
Bernback was charged in 2015 with a total of eight felony counts, including one count each of sexual penetration by a foreign object; attempted sodomy by use of force; forcible rape; forcible oral copulation; rape by use of drugs; rape of unconscious person and two counts of administering drugs to commit rape.
Bernback, of Sherman Oaks, California, was accused of sexually assaulting three women between March 2014 and August 2015.
District Attorney’s office spokesman Ricardo Santiago told TheWrap, “Today, during a preliminary hearing setting date in the case of Michael Leslie Bernback … prosecutors announced they would be unable to proceed with the preliminary hearing. The defense moved to have the case dismissed and the court granted the request.”