Family accused of staging an anti-Semitic attack has been facing financial troubles

A Winnipeg family accused of staging an anti-Semitic attack at their cafe has been facing financial troubles, including a six-figure lawsuit.

Oxana and Alexander Berent, along with their son Maxim, have denied police allegations they faked an attack last Thursday inside the BerMax Caffe and Bistro.

They were charged Wednesday with public mischief, after police investigated a report that their cafe was spray-painted with hateful graffiti and Oxana was assaulted.

The family told CBC they did not stage the incident, and that while they have had to put their home and cafe up for sale in order to pay off loans, that would not lead them to falsify an attack.

Court records show the parents were ordered last August to pay $112,000 to the Business Development Bank of Canada for aloan that had not been repaid.

More recently, their adult son was sued by the Royal Bank for $43,000in alleged credit card debt.

That statement of claim has not been tested in court and Maxim Berent has not responded to it.

The family members have been released on a promise to appear in court in May.

BerMax Caff owners deny police allegations

6 years ago

Duration 2:03

Winnipeg Police arrested and charged the Berent family with mischief. Investigators believe the three staged an anti-Semitic attack at their restaurant last week.