Rabbi Accused Of Money Laundering Not Allowed To Travel To Israel, Federal Judge Says

Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim was charged in July with money laundering. He asked to modify the conditions of his bail to attend the infant’s ritual circumcision in Israel.

Judge denies trip to Israel for rabbi charged in N.J. corruption sting
By Joe Ryan • New Jersey Star-Ledger

NEWARK — A federal judge in Newark today denied a request from a rabbi charged in last year’s massive FBI sting to travel to Israel to perform a religious service for his newborn grandson.

Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim was charged in July with money laundering and asked to modify the conditions of his bail to attend the infant’s ritual circumcision, or bris.

But U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk agreed with prosecutors that if Ben Haim were allowed to leave the country he may never return. He faces up to 20 years in prison, has relatives in Israel and, prosecutes say, has significant assets overseas.

“I do believe there are significant risks of non-appearance in this case,” Falk said.

Ben Haim, the principal rabbi at Congregation Ohel Yaacob in Deal, is accused of laundering $1.5 million for Solomon Dwek, the son of a fellow rabbi. But Dwek was also an FBI informant whose work led to charges against 46 people, including five rabbis and scores of public officials.

Ben Haim’s lawyer, Lawrence S. Lustberg, argued that Ben Haim is not a flight risk. He grew up in America, and most of his family is here, Lustberg said. The lawyer denied Ben Haim had money overseas.

“All that he has is here in the United States,” Lustberg said.

The lawyer also said Ben Haim has been engaged in “constructive” plea negotiations with the government. The rabbi, however, is not considering cooperating with prosecutors to convict other defendants in the case, Lustberg said.

“This whole case is about the Dwek betrayal, and he does not want to be a part of that,” Lustberg said.

[Hat Tip: WSC.]

Comments

[ae4343@gmail.com]

The "whole case about Dwek betrayal"? I thought it is about corruption.

[phillip]

Let him watch it on a web cam.

[Jason]

It is about the Dwek "betrayal" if you are a lawyer representing one of the defendants. And Lustberg, Ben Haim's lawyer, from everything that I know about him, is an honorable man.

[yael the convert]

A question: If my rich ex-husband were bribing a judge in the rabbinical court for divorce in Israel... how would he go about doing that? How would you begin to expose it?

[seymour]

“This whole case is about the Dwek betrayal, and he does not want to be a part of that,” Lustberg said.

The whole ultra orthodox community just do not get it. It is about corruption. But of course in the ultra orthodox community fraud is perfectly kosher. So therefore it is only about Dwek.

[Neandershort]

All the elements of a flight risk are there: Relatives and assets overseas, the possbility of automatic citizenship, defendant facing a significant prison term, weak extradition treaty (Mondrowitz is still in Israel). . . Too bad about the brit; next time live your life honestly.

Yael - Rabbinical courts are about money and power. If you want a get before you're old and grey, arrange to have your husband taken behind the woodshed.

[boruch521]

He shouldn't be allowed to travel to Issreal. To stay and not return to the US to testify? This is about corruption, plain and simple. If these people stayed at home and taught their children, virtuous morals, and to be law abiding citizens the Jewish world would be much better off.
If you commit the crime, or aid, and abet, you are just as guilty. By not testifying he becomes just ass complicite as the rest of these crooks.

[Eliezer]

DUH He is lucky that he's not in jail on bread and water*, which is probably where he ought to be.

*(Matzah for pesach, of course)