Rabbi Leib Tropper Says Billionaire Former Acolyte Assaulted Him In A Jerusalem Hotel

Tropper, who has tried to control conversions worldwide, says his former follower, Guma Aguiar, attacked him in the David Citadel Hotel.

U.S. rabbi accuses Beitar patron of assault
By Yuval Goren • Ha'aretz

A prominent U.S. rabbi is accusing Guma Aguiar, the billionaire energy industrialist and patron of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer club, of assaulting him in a Jerusalem hotel in April while the rabbi served as a prosecution witness against the businessman in a civil suit in Florida. Aguiar - who  was born in Brazil, raised in the United States and now spends part of the year in Israel - is accused of entering Rabbi Leib Tropper's room at the David Citadel Hotel, assaulting him and threatening to cause him further harm. 

At the time of the alleged attack, Tropper was testifying at Aguiar's trial on embezzlement charges brought before a Florida court by the businessman's uncle, Thomas Kaplan. The plaintiff claimed Aguiar misused funds slated for charitable purposes because he believed he was the messiah, a claim Aguiar called "absurd." In June a judge dismissed the case. 

On May 24 Tropper, who heads the Kol Yaakov Yeshiva in Monsey, New York, filed a criminal report, and police opened an investigation into the allegations. Tropper told Jerusalem police that on the day he was scheduled to leave Israel he asked hotel staff to help him with his luggage, and when he opened his door he was stunned to see Aguiar and one of his bodyguards - at least one of whom reeked of alcohol - standing next to the bellboy. 

Tropper said Aguiar pushed his way into the room, cursed at him and ordered the bellboy to leave. He then pulled off Tropper's glasses and threatened to throw him out of the window. 

Tropper said Aguiar told him, "I'll throw you off the ninth floor. You better take a look at the city, because it's the last time you'll see Jerusalem." 

When hotel security staff present threatened to call the police, the businessman allegedly said, "I know all of the police in Jerusalem, and they'll listen to me." 

Aguiar's bodyguard then restrained him, and returned Tropper his glasses. A hotel security officer soon arrived, and Aguiar and his bodyguard left the scene. Tropper said he required medical attention after the incident. 

A U.S. court has filed a restraining order keeping Aguiar from the rabbi and other individuals involved in the trial. 

A police investigation was launched following Tropper's report, but closed after only two weeks due to what police called "lack of evidence." 

Tropper then filed an appeal to the State Prosecutor's Jerusalem office, claiming that the police hardly collected any testimony from him, the hotel's chief of security or any of the other hotel staff present during the alleged altercation. Aguiar himself was also not questioned. 

Last week police notified Tropper's attorney that his appeal had been accepted, and the case against Aguiar would be reopened. 

A spokesman for the Jerusalem police confirmed yesterday that the case against Aguiar had been reopened, and that he is scheduled to be questioned in the coming days on suspicion of assault and intimidation. 

Aguiar effectively rescued the cash-strapped Beitar Jerusalem soccer club with a bailout to the tune of $4 million in July. Officials at the club declined to comment yesterday on the alleged assault. 

Last month, Haaretz reported that Aguiar claimed he had been assaulted by anti-Semitic policemen in Florida, after he was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and drug possession in Broward County in June.

Guma Aguiar and his uncle Thomas Kaplan have been fighting over millions (maybe billions) of dollars for the last couple years.

Tropper was close to both of them before the split but now is only close to Kaplan.

Tropper's History. 

Comments

[critical_minyan]

if this story is true, then leib tropper is a moser.
he should keep the whole thng is jewish court.

[Mr. Apikoros]

Both should be thrown out the window. Simultaneously. Let's prove once again whether Galileo was correct.

[Ben]

Leib Tropper is an evil and heartless man who likes to abuse defenseless converts, but quick to call police when threatened by Guma.

Why he is not going to beit din? What a shande. Everybody is a moser for going to police and needs to be killed according to Tropper and other Haredi Rabbis, but this rule (and any other rule) has an exception to Haredi Rabbis themselves.

It is time for Tropper to take responsi

[Dr. Dave]

Sorry, Mr. A.

Even simultaneous defenestration will not lead to the results you expect due to friction and air resistance caused by Rabbi Tropper's less than aerodynamic hat, beard, and frame.

Plus he would stop to schnorr on the way down.

[alternative childcare]

Perhaps Mr A should jump out the window with them to make sure they all hit the ground properly.

Can there be any stories posted here without you advocating violence against Jews every single time? Perhaps we can have a list of your violent comments placed at the end of every posting to save you some time.

[Mr. Apikoros]

Do you advocate violence against non-Jews? Nazis, for example?

[seymour]

I say throw them both down whoever lives wins the settlement. It has to work since hashem will save the correct one . Like they did in the Torah time when they tries to drown woman if she lived she was innocent

[alternative childcare]

Mr A: I have never advocated violence on this or any other blog, certainly not against people involved in a mere business squabble, only because they are Jews (or non-Jews).
I don't know why you bring up Nazis, other than your repeated Germanophilia, but my ancestors were actual partisans during the war. After the war we grew up around those active in bringing war criminals to justice, but no one was thrown out of any windows, to my knowledge (perhaps because one of the former famous partisans is now a chassidic "vermin" and "frumbag"). Apparently violence in your book is only reserved for Jews:

This video would have made a wonderful recruiting tool for the SchutzStaffel.
Posted by: MisterApikoros | June 07, 2009 at 03:19 AM

… Charedi vermin …
Posted by: MisterApikoros | June 07, 2009 at 05:20 AM

…Critical_Minyan said the frumbags aren't Jews; I'll go one step further -- they aren't humans.
Posted by: MisterApikoros | June 07, 2009 at 06:15 PM

This frumbag should be sleeping with the fishes in the Sea of Galilee.
Posted by: MisterApikoros | May 14, 2009 at 07:04 AM

etc, etc, pepper spray in the morning, etc

[The Monsey Tzadik]

For people who know Tropper, people who know the way he lied about Rabbi Slifkin
http://www.zootorah.com/controversy/account.html

Rabbi Bomzer
http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2009/02/rabbi-bomzer-ban-signatories-retract.html

Rabbi Lookstein
http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5769/TZV69aconvert.htm.

The way he lied to the family in Midwest and promised he Will convert them, to the woman he told no to convert with Rabbi Bomzer but with him only to revoke her conversion after she wore pants.

http://www.jewcy.com/tags/leib_tropper

Those people have no doubts that Tropper is lying to his tooth to frame his former benefactor

[Mr. Apikoros]

Funny, Alternative Childcare, others have made virtually identical comments to mine, in this very thread, and you don't single them out. You only seem to have a vendetta against me.

Do you know me from somewhere? If you don't, perhaps we'll get to meet, Alternative Chuck Norris, and you can make your objections known to me personally, big guy.

[steve]

GUMA'S RESPONSE:

“Between the years 2003 and 2008 Guma Aguiar provided Mr. Tropper approximately $10 million to be distributed among rabbonim, kehilos, social organizations and medical institutions in Israel. The funds were transferred along with a precise list of all of the names of people and institutions the money was intended for and to which the sums were supposed to reach in precise detail.

“Based on an in-depth inquiry conducted last year it was found that most of the organizations the funds were supposed to reach did not receive the money earmarked for them.

“On Rosh Chodesh Sivan, Guma Aguiar encountered Mr. Tropper unexpectedly at the hotel where he was staying. This took place after a long time period during which Mr. Tropper had avoided giving explanations of where the money had gone to.

“Mr. Aguiar expressed his displeasure and even posed piercing questions in order to find out why the money had yet to reach its intended destination. Mr. Aguiar, in keeping with his ways, did not use a single untoward word.

“Tropper’s attempts to obscure his shameful acts through slander and disseminating lies should be denounced. Tropper must return all of the money taken from Guma Aguiar and transfer it immediately to the institutions and organizations that are so sorely in need of donations and support during these difficult times.

“Guma Aguiar expresses his hopes that the legal authorities will act quickly to compel him to return the money for the sake of the needy and prays that no undue outcome results through his endeavors.”

Regardless of this statement, HaRav Tropper’s accusations have marred Aguiar’s image and the billionaire is unlikely to restore his reputation in the near future.

[Mr. Apikoros]

I take half of what I said back. Guma Aguiar needs a parachute. Tropper, on the other hand, needs a boat anchor.

[Mr. Apikoros]

Hey, Alternative Chillul Hashem:

Wanna little notoriety? Then print out the dossier you have on Mr. Apikoros, aka Herr Obersturmbannfuhrer Leopold von Eisenkreuz, and fax it to the NJ Office of the Anti-Defamation League:

(973) 669-9749

[alternative childcare]

I don't want notoriety. I want you to shut up and stop your daily call for death to Jews. I'm not a retired old man who gets his kicks posting nazi sounding statements against blacks and Jews on Jewish sites.

[Mr. Apikoros]

I'll shut up here when Hell freezes over, asshat.

Now try to make me. Make my day.

[Shmarya]

STOP IT OR I"LL BAN BOTH OF YOU.

Either stay on topic and behave like adults or you're gone.