Former Agriprocessors Manager Arrested In Israel

A former Agriprocessors manager was arrested in Israel March 31 following a U.S. request for extradition from Israel issued in 2009 in connection with federal charges pending in U.S. District Court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Wednesday.

 

Former Agriprocessors manager arrested in Israel, could be extradited in next month or so
Trish Mehaffey • SourceMedia Group News

CEDAR RAPIDS – A former Agriprocessors manager was arrested in Israel March 31 following a U.S. request for extradition from Israel issued in 2009 in connection with federal charges pending in U.S. District Court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Wednesday.

Hosam Amara, 46, was first indicted Nov. 20, 2008, for charges stemming from the May 2008 immigration raid at the Postville plant. A July 16, 2009, superseding indictment charged Amara with one count of conspiracy to harbor undocumented workers for profit, 24 counts of harboring and aiding abetting the harboring of undocumented worker for profit, one count of conspiracy to commit document fraud, and one count of aiding and abetting document fraud.

Amara fled the United States after being charged, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Amara and Zeev Levi, another Agriprocessors manager who also fled to Israel after being charged, are the last two cases to be resolved in connection with the immigration raid where 389 illegal workers were charged.

Levi hasn’t been found by authorities, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Cole said Wednesday.

Amara will now face extradition proceedings in Israel. He is in custody pending a hearing scheduled for May 2.

If convicted of all charges, Amara faces up to 260 years in prison, a $6.7 million fine, $2,700 in special assessments, and 81 years of supervised release following any prison term.

According to the indictment, Amara and Levi allegedly had knowledge of illegal workers and their fake documents for employment, and helped them obtained the documents.

A federal jury in November 2009 convicted former vice president Sholom Rubashkin, 50, of 86 counts of bank, mail and wire fraud, money laundering and failure to pay livestock providers in a timely manner.

There have been a total of 11 supervisors, managers and employees charged and nine have been convicted in this case.

According to evidence the government has, Sholom Rubashkin gave Amara money to flee the country and told him it would be best if he ran.

Amara ran a used car scam that extorted money from undocumented workers seeking employment at Agriprocessors, and he was also allegedly involved in sexually abusing undocumented female workers.

Amara was the Rubashkin family's go to guy in the plant, and if he cooperates with the prosecution, further charges could be filed against Sholom Rubashkin and other members of the Rubashkin family.

[Hat Tip: The Other DK.]

Comments

[AGRI-vated Angel]

I can't help but to wonder . . . if this arrest could be a lead up to the RICO charges Sage has continuously posted about ? ! ? !

[WoolSilkCotton]

I am not the person who posted the 1:44 item. Someone is using my name fraudulently.
I have asked Shmarya to remove that posting, and to investigate.

[Shmarya]

I am not the person who posted the 1:44 item. Someone is using my name fraudulently.
I have asked Shmarya to remove that posting, and to investigate.

Posted by: WoolSilkCotton | April 13, 2011 at 03:41 PM

It turns out the creep is a haredi sockpuppet who used about a dozen different aliases and pretended to be a reform Jew, a non-Jew, Menachem Mendel, and many others.

I deleted his comment and banned him.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Thanks, Shmarya.

[Hometown Postville]

A good thought Agri! But will this guy talk? Could he technically get as much time as SMR?

[yidandahalf]

He will roll over on the Rubash-ins. Let us sit back and enjoy the show.

[Concerned for the Postville Area]

I can't wait for the new "series" on American Greed!
It just confirms the old saying, "You can run but you can't hide."
All the letters to the editor referring to the move of Upperland Exploreland from Postville to Decorah, just another example of legitimate businesses moving from the town with ALL the bad publicity associated with the fall of Agri. (You know the plant the town could not live without!)

[AGRI-vated Angel]

yidandahalf -

I think so too. It would be most foolish of Hosam not too.

BTW . . . Another property is going up for auction. This one includes the thirty acres, some of which, was designated to be the intended site of a synagogue, at one point in time.

[yidandahalf]

What is the news of AgriStar these days? Any news, AGRI-vated Angel? Let us know if you see anything.

[AGRI-vated Angel]

I've heard the plant is struggling to keep afloat. Apparently, there must be more competition than before in the Kosher industry. I hear alot of the same stories from the workers that were told before-pertaining to paychecks, etc. -nothing solid enough for me to contact Shmarya though . . .

[A E ANDERSON]

I wonder what got the DIBs motivated after two years to go nab the guy!

More charges against Rubashkin!?! The prosecution's already on the defensive for winning the ridiculous sentence it already won.

More likely, Amara's case will bring out testimony and issues that Rubashkin's lawyers will be able to use on appeal to win a new trial or otherwise bring the Reade trial proceedings into disrepute.

OTOH, Amara might well offer the prosecution a chance to clear itself of still rampant complaints that it acted unfairly against Rubashkin.

It does seem rather odd, though, to have somebody extradicted on immigration fraud charges. I wonder if what they have charged him with falls within the limits of the extrsdition treaty.

[justice seeker]

It strikes me that he is a rather little fish. If in fact SMR helped him flee, it can't be good news for the Rubashkins if he is extradited. I imagine the family is meeting with their attorneys and analyzing the risk. Perhaps they will help him fight extradition as well.

[AGRI-vated Angel]

[More likely, Amara's case will bring out testimony and issues that Rubashkin's lawyers will be able to use on appeal to win a new trial or otherwise bring the Reade trial proceedings into disrepute.]

Dreaming?-or as 'they' say . . . 'Would you please pass that doobie this way? :)

[state of disgust]

Hosam Amara was hired by Aaron Rubashkin and brought to this country to run the chicken line at Agriprocessors.
I believe there was a sealed indictment against him pending his apprehension.

[sage]

IMHO, I believe that the Feds already have enough evidence to file a RICO Indictment against the RCF, along with the OU, KAJ, R. Weissmandl and other luminaries in the "Ko$her No$tra", all of whom aided and abbeted the RCF criminal activities.

But if Amara sings, it will make the Feds job much easier.

[A E ANDERSON]

The momentum is gone. Policy at ICE has changed. Amara may be more of an embarassment, as a reminder of failed immigration policy. I think the Israelis intentionally waited until the case lost its steam, and then picked up Amara to throw back at the anti-Israel faction(s) within the Justice Dept that allowed the local-yokel US Atty in Iowa to attack Jews and Israel with the Law of Return. Or something like that. Whatever the reaason, I don't think the hiatus between the warrant and the apprehension was accidental or by happenstance.

[state of disgust]

I'm just surprised they didn't pick up Zev Levy at the same time. Levy was in Nahariya.

OTOH, charges against Levy are substantially less severe then those against Amara.

[concerned citizen]

I work with a person who left Agri-Star a few weeks ago. Asked him why he left. You guessed it, same old S--t "different!" owners. He told me he worked the same hours each week, but his pay checks were less than the week before. Just wish they would get out of town. We did ok after the raid/bankruptcy, we'll do ok now.

[sarg gravert]

I am just a retired meatman, not even Jewish. When this story broke a couple years ago, wasn´t the reason Rubashkin was put under heavy guard, then later jailed because he was a flight risk? In all the comments, getting a Jewish citizen extradited from Isreal is almost impossible is what I understood. Correct me if I am wrong, please. But if he cannot be extradited and stand trial, then this will be a non-event

[Isa]

Remember Billingmeyer the HR director ,she pled guilty but made a deal
This Amara guy will make a deal too

All both of them have to do is puke on Rubashkin. The jury will certainly believe two tweetie birds singing at Rubashkin's new trial.

This is what Rubashkin gets for continued 'kicking the Justice dept in the shins'

[sage]

Yes!!!

Especially it leads to RICO Indictments, as mentioned earlier.

[s]

I hope this arrest is announced when the Postville raid movie is shown Friday evening April 15th, at the University of Minnesota law school building.

[Doug]

This guy is an Arab, he isn't Jewish. Look at his name and then see the picture of his house. It is in an arab village and has arabic on the sign.

[FormerPostvillian]

Will Amara sing? Like a bird! This guy never stops talking about himself and has a ego that makes Sholom's pale in comparison.

I'd put them both in the same cell together, they deserve each others company!

[TheTruthAsItIs]

Hosam knows ALOT

If they can get him extradited - watch out...

Agrivated Angel is correct, Agri Star is barely staying afloat. Too much of the same old same old. In fact, the few people I know that work there wished the Rubashkins were back - that is pathetic!