Agriprocessors Jewish Clients Testify

Two kosher meat sellers who regularly bought from Agriprocessors Inc. testified today that they were unaware that the eastern Iowa slaughterhouse allegedly attached their business names to made-up debts which were then used to defraud a bank.

Agriprocessors clients testify in Rubashkin trial
By GRANT SCHULTE • Des Moines Register

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Two kosher meat sellers who regularly bought from Agriprocessors Inc. testified today that they were unaware that the eastern Iowa slaughterhouse allegedly attached their business names to made-up debts which were then used to defraud a bank.

But one of the sellers, Aaron Tzivin, who owns the Crown Heights House of Glatt in Brooklyn, N.Y, told jurors that he still has a good relationship with the plant's former owners, the Rubashkin family.

Tzivin, who is married to Rubashkin's first cousin, testified that meat plant executive Sholom Rubashkin allowed him to extend his credit line with the company when needed so he could receive more kosher meat as needed. In exchange, he said he loaned money to the plant when asked.
Rubashkin and his family "were very nice to me," Tzivin said. "I pushed for a bigger credit line, and they did it for me."

When defense lawyer Guy Cook asked if he was related to the Rubashkins, Tzivin replied: "Yes. And I'm proud of it."

The statements came during the second week of trial for Sholom Rubashkin, a former executive at the Postville plant now charged with 91 fraud-related charges. He has pleaded not guilty, and is standing trial in South Dakota because of heavy publicity in Iowa.

Yisrael Kagan, owner of the Glatt Western Kosher in Los Angeles, testified that Agriprocessors Inc. was disorganized and often did not ship all of the meat he had ordered. He said he only paid for meat that he received.

Kagan said the plant supplied about 95 percent of his meat before Agriprocessors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. He said his company caters events throughout Los Angeles, and supplied Agriprocessors meat for Hollywood movie shoots and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.

When the plant struggled, Kagan said he sent advance payments totaling roughly $700,000 - including $500,000 taken from a mortgage on his home - with no written agreement.

He said he will not likely see the money returned, because the plant filed for bankruptcy.

Comments

[nachos]

are these people now Mosers?

[Max]

If they don't object does that make them un-indicted co-conspirator's?

[AGRI-vated Angel]

Good grief ~

[Yisrael Kagan, owner of the Glatt Western Kosher in Los Angeles] is obviously Anti-Semitic.

:)

[AGRI-vated Angel]

. . . or is he a Moser?

I believe I will have to attend Hebrew school, so that I can keep up with the terms pertaining to . . . 'Rubashkin Denial Disorder'.

[Hometown Postville]

Good one Agri-A A! Is it contagious?

[AGRI-vated Angel]

It does appear to be . . . though, the court system is doing 'their' best to contain the spread of RDD.