Prosecutors: Rubashkin Deserves 27 Year Sentence

"You've got such a wide range of criminal activity here. The case just kept building, and building, and building. Every time you turned over another rock, there was another crime being committed - and usually, it led to Sholom Rubashkin."

Prosecutor: Rubashkin deserves his 27-year sentence

By GRANT SCHULTE • Des Moines Register

Cedar Rapids, Ia. — Sholom Rubashkin deserves the prison time he received Tuesday in federal court, prosecutors said after a judge sentenced the former eastern Iowa meatpacking executive to 27 years.

Bob Teig, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office, said the massive financial fraud scheme at Agriprocessors Inc. "cries out for a sentence like this."

Rubashkin, 50, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids and ordered to pay $27 million in restitution to banks and a cattle provider caught in the scheme.

Rubashkin was convicted of 86 fraud-related federal crimes in November, for his part in an effort to defraud the plant's lenders to collect advances on a loan. The plan collapsed after a May 2008 raid at the Postville plant that forced the owners to file for bankruptcy.

Prosecutors, who have seldom spoke publicly since the immigration raid, said the fraud case ranked among the largest ever in Iowa's northern district.

"It is a lengthy sentence," Teig said. "But he earned a lengthy sentence. It's hard to get a 27-year sentence for a white-collar crime. It is very difficult."

Teig said Rubashkin's crimes differed from other high-profile, white-collar cases with lesser sentences because of his actions. U.S. District Judge Linda Reade concluded in her ruling that Rubashkin led the fraud, involved others in the plot and lied at his trial. Teig said Rubashkin consistently refused to cooperate with authorities.

Assistant U.S Attorney Peter Deegan Jr., one of three prosecutors in the case, said financial crimes kept surfacing as investigators dug into the plant's books. Rubashkin's money laundering through a local school and grocery store hindered but did not stop the investigation, he said.

"You've got such a wide range of criminal activity here," Deegan said. "The case just kept building, and building, and building. Every time you turned over another rock, there was another crime being committed - and usually, it led to Sholom Rubashkin."

Defense lawyers vowed to appeal, and railed against the sentence in a press conference with at least 100 of Rubashkin's Orthodox Jewish supporters.

Several in the group toted signs in front of the television cameras. One sign read: "27 years for overstating assets? That makes sense? OMG!"

"While this may appear to be the end of the case, it is not," defense lawyer Guy Cook said. "It is indeed the beginning of the case. It's round one, if you will."

Bob Barr, a former Georgia congressman who joined Rubashkin's legal team for the appeal, said the sentence was "unjust, unnecessary, and unreasonable." He held up a copy of Reade's ruling and said, "This will not stand."

Rubashkin showed little emotion when the decision was read.

Letter From The US Attorney On The Rubashkin Sentence.

US Attorney's Press Release.

Comments

[nachos]

Does this prove that the Rebbe is trully dead?

[Jew Lover]

Did the Judge say where he will serve his time ? If no , when do they usually release that info ? Thank you

[Shmarya]

She recommended the the BOP put him in a facility that can meet his religious needs.

That will probably work out to be either Otisville, NY or Fort Dix, NJ.

[Mr. Apikoros]

If it's Fort Dix, I can visit him regularly. The Meathead Messiah sure can use a little support right now.

[harold]

Does this prove that the Rebbe is trully dead?

I fail to see the connection.

This is the same logic that people use to "prove" that g-d is dead or does not exist by pointing to a tragedy and saying "How could g-d allow it to happen?"

[WoolSilkCotton]

If it's Fort Dix, I will also visit, and will bake a kugel with a hacksaw blade in it.

[effie]

A judge's recommendation is meaningless in that the BOP makes the decision. And they generally don't release information regarding transfers in advance for security reasons.

[INFORMED]

The judge has absolutely no say as the where SMR will be going. As I stated in other post, he will be sent to either the USP at Allenwood (the maximum facility)or possibly USP Atlanta. He is going to be moved to the federal transfer center in oklahoma city by the USMS this is a federal transfer facility for all sentenced inmates being moved around the BOP system. He will NOT be allowed to bring ANYTHING with him while being moved. This includes ALL books. He may only have his attorney's business card and that is it. As I said before, if he gives the USMS a hard time about his crap, he will be sent to the USP Florence (Supermax) until he learns his lesson.
Please remember SMR is NOT a high profile prisoner, the only people that care about him are the few orthodox Jews in this country. He is very low on the pole.

[maven]

HaRav HaGaon HaRold writes:

"This is the same logic that people use to "prove" that g-d is dead or does not exist..."

Disproving the rebbe's immortality is like disproving g-d (small letters yours)?

[BaruchHaShem]

Baruch HaShem for Twenty Seven!

[harold]

Disproving the rebbe's immortality is like disproving g-d

I still fail to see the connection (i.e. Does this prove that the Rebbe is trully dead?)

[NotHarold]

No rational person believes schneerson (yemach shemo) is alive.

Most rational goats also believe that schneerson is deader than a doornail.

[Rubashkin supporter]

B"H
NotHarold why in the world would you insult a Tzadik like my Rebbe?

[al Farabi]

My Rebbe, the Rambam, says that your rebbe was a fraud, a cult leader, that he was a purveyor of lies and deceptions and that and his followers are idol worshippers. What does your rebbe say to that? My rebbe says all of this in Moreh Nevuchim.