Another Haredi Rabbi Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering

A New York rabbi has pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy charge in New Jersey's largest federal corruption sting.

 

Rabbi pleads guilty in NJ sting
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. — A New York rabbi has pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy charge in New Jersey's largest federal corruption sting.

Mordchai Fish, the principal rabbi of Brooklyn's Congregation Sheves Achim, entered his plea Friday in a Trenton courtroom.

Prosecutors say Fish conspired to launder approximately $900,000 he thought was criminal proceeds from Solomon Dwek, an undercover government cooperator posing as a businessman.

According to court filings, Dwek gave Fish checks payable to a religious charity that the rabbi converted into cash to give back to Dwek, minus a 10 percent commission.

Three others accused of conspiring with Fish have pleaded guilty.

Fish was among 46 people, including 5 rabbis, arrested in July 2009 in the culmination of a federal investigation into money laundering and public corruption.

If you want to read a comprehensive account of this sting and the multiple layers of crimes and criminals involved, read the book currently advertised immediately to the right of this post, The Jersey Sting.

Comments

[Moshe aron kestenbaum, Williamsburg ODA]

I wanted a trial. A trial would had exposed all these ganovim cheizeirim rehshoim pigs mentchen freesers. Their shlimy ilks didn't sleep since these bums got arrested I wanted a trial that would have had shown the whole world what reshoim they are, its just to bad

[WoolSilkCotton]

Moshe Aron, considering how shameless they are, I am surprised they did not insist on a trial, like the uber-crook Rubashkin did.

A Gutten Shabbos to all.

[Isa]

They are smart...
These crooks saw how the government took down Rubashkin...

So they took the generous deal and know enough to cry their eyeballs out and beg forgiveness

[david]

While I do not condone criminal activity Rabbi Fish is a modern day Robin Hood. He stole from the IRS ....? and gave to the poor. The proceeds from his activities were used to help poor russians get their tefillin and make their bar mitzvahs. He paid for many tuitions so they could attend religios schools. etc etc. He himself lived a simple life, no fancy clothes, car, or jewelry. I know all the responses that will come from this post however you slice it what he did was wrong but We all kind of rooted for Robin Hood so maybe we can show this real person, however misguided he was some compassion.

[norm]

David-Fish is a Robbing Hoodstein-robbign from the rich and essentially from taxpyers like me and maybe even you who pay our taxes and he gives oru money to the poor minus ten percent for expenses like the Mel Brooks character.

People like him are a cuas eof anti-semistism

[david]

hey norm. hate to break it to you but they will hate us even if there is no bad pr for decades. esav soneh l'yaakov... that being said my statement still stands. fish lived a simple life aiding the poor with his gains. btw who is mel brooks character?

[Murmur55]

Wow. Powerful men in funny hats do bad things with money. Why does anyone trust these guys?

[DJ]

David- Stealing is stealing. Where in the Torah does it say that it is permissible to steal from specific parties, and not from others?

For an Orthodox Rabbi to steal is a Chillul Hashem, pure and simple.

I differentiate between "Orthodox" and "Torah Jew" for a reason; a Torah Jew observes Mitzvot Bein Adam Le'Chavayro , not only "Mitzot Bein Adam Le'Makom".