Haredi Con Artist Pleads Guilty

Dina Wein Reis, 47, softly answered, “Guilty,” when U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson asked her how she pleaded to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

 

NY socialite Dina Wein Reis pleads guilty to fraud charges
ASSOCIATED PRESS

INDIANAPOLIS — A New York socialite pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal charge that she duped corporations out of millions of dollars.

Dina Wein Reis, 47, softly answered, “Guilty,” when U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson asked her how she pleaded to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Reis could have faced up to five years in prison, but an agreement with prosecutors would cap her possible sentence at no more than 31 months if the judge accepts the deal, which she is not obligated to do. The plea agreement also limits the financial penalties Reis might have to pay to $7 million.

Attorney J. Richard Kiefer asked Magnus-Stinson to ease travel restrictions under which Reis had been released on her own recognizance, so she could sell off art works and other items to raise the money to pay restitution. The judge declined to entirely lift the restrictions and said Reis would have to receive permission from her probation officers.

Reis, a well-known art collector in New York social circles, was accused of wining and dining corporate CEOS at her luxurious brownstone under the guise of a company looking for a new top executive. Then they were asked to provide discounted goods for distribution by a nonexistent network that supposedly provided products for use as samples at retail outlets or promotional packages for senior living communities and other special groups.

Instead, prosecutors said, Reis sold the goods for profit. Some of Reis’ employees, who also were charged, were alleged to have assisted in the scheme.

Reis had been scheduled to go to trial this month in Indianapolis.

Judge Magnus-Stinson took the plea agreement under advisement but didn’t set a sentencing date. She is expected to rule on the agreement after she receives a pre-sentence report from the federal probation department.

In March, I reported that Weiss and her co-defendants had been offered plea deals and that the co-defendants had accepted. But those deals were contingent on what Wein Reis decided to do.

I reported then that she was offered 18 months in prison and would have to pay a large fine and restitution. However, it appears that her prison time was increased and her financial obligations were decreased in this final deal.

Dina Wein Reis index of posts.

Accused Con Artist Dina Wein Reis Offered Plea Deal.

Comments

[jay]

Shall we start the countdown?
How long will it be before posters in denial claim:

1. She was never Haredi, she was a misguided BT
2. She is innocent. She took the plea to avoid a long sentence.
3. She is innocent. This is another case of anti-semitism in federal courts, just like SMR, melech hamoshiach.

[itchiemayer]

it's amazing how justice will bring the haughty to their knees.

[tooclose2detroit]

I know the fam-she is NOT BT-and, considering she pleaded guilty, kinda hard for anyone to say she is innocent-and, the chareidi world is not about to defend some manahattan socialite that was involved with art, plays on broadway, etc-not excatly the type of person that the chareidi world jumps to defend. so, Jay, you can start the countdown, but dont expect liftoff.

[Gevezener Chusid]

would someone define "Haredi"? (I am serious)

"Manahattan socialite that was involved with art, plays on broadway, etc" does not seem to coincide with the definition I had always thought it had.

[seymour]

I think they will not come to her rescue just like they did not come to the other woman rescue

they will use these stories to prove their point woman should stay at home

[Aharoni]

Always good to see a frum person being responsible after having done something wrong. Good for her in taking the plea. Helbrands had a deal, and rejected it at the last minute, costing the frum community millions in legal defense funds raised. Rubashkin had a deal, and, well, the story still goes on and on and on; and he will suffer needlessly for it. Lanner had a deal too, but his brilliant Rosh Yeshiva @ YU convinced him to turn it down.

[jay]

@tooclose2detroit- you make some very solid points

[theman]

SHES NOT HAREDI--- SCOTT(SHMARYA) JUST WANTS THE HEADLINES TO BE A BIT MORE ATTRACTIVE!!
[afterall- would any true haredi lady let her picture be taken of herself and be published] :)

[Shmarya]

Her husband wears a shtreiml and a bekeshe and the family identifies as haredi.

[seymour]

I know the fam-she is NOT BT-and, considering she pleaded guilty, kinda hard for anyone to say she is innocent-and, the chareidi world is not about to defend some manahattan socialite that was involved with art, plays on broadway, etc-not excatly the type of person that the chareidi world jumps to defend. so, Jay, you can start the countdown, but dont expect liftoff.

Posted by: tooclose2detroit | May 20, 2011 at 08:29 AM

in addition if SMr and that other woman would have done the same my guess would be a much much shorter sentence

hopefully some can learn from this case

[jicky]

Mind your own business and go provide for your innocent family which made the mistake taking you for a husband and father ,

[tooclose2detroit]

Mind your own business and go provide for your innocent family which made the mistake taking you for a husband and father ,

Posted by: jicky

dude?-havin a bad day?

[emmylou]

A travesty of justice. White-collar financial crimes should command a VERY long sentence. That's the only way to curb such crimes.

[bmos]

Shmarya, Her husband does not wear a shtreimel or beketcha. He is a Sefardi.

[Shmarya]

You're right.

I didn't look closely. I thought I was responding to a comment on a post about Runge.

That said, Wein Reis is haredi.

[Dave]

Shameful example of the greed that the upper echelon Heredi exude. Shameful. Lock her up and throw away the key.

[jay]

See, 2close?? I wasn't all that far off ;-)
2 posts denying that she's haredi and a pulsa denura against shmarya ;-)

[steve]

SHMARYA - "Her husband wears a shtreiml and a bekeshe and the family identifies as haredi."

Um, you are completely wrong, her husband is wears a regular black hat, along with light color suits, he isnt sefardi either, to the person who wrote that. Her children are regular NY yeshiva student types.

they are NOT charedi, they are closer to Modern Orthodox Machmir

[Chaim]

Her husband, i believe is a latin american convert. She made her husband keep her last name.

[JACOB]

HER HUSBAND IS A COLUMBIAN CONVERT NAMED RUIZ THEY WALK AROUND MANHATTAN LIKE TZADIKIM AND ACTING LIKE FRUMMIES THEY HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THEIR SCHEMES

[steve]

For the record, the comment at 5:49pm was not mine, it is from a different "steve". I am the regular "steve" who posts here.

[Chill out]

Jacob --- how can you say they hurt a lot of people with "their schemes"

Who exactly did they hurt?
The greedy large corporations that thought they were going to get some "free" publicity because they donated some products?

I am not defending what she did but I don't think there is a real victim here like say Madoffs former clients.

Also

She is not haredi
She may be innocent. It's possible she took the plea to avoid a long sentence. Isn't that what all of you anti SMR say he should have done? You people are amazing -- you blame SMR for pleading not guilty to something and indicate this is why he got such a long sentence.

This may be another case of anti-semitism in federal courts. Only someone who goes without a yarmulke and doesn't publicy idenify as jewish thinks there is no antisemitism. Do you think a Federal judge is somehow able to put aside all their biases against jews? how about against blacks? The federal government thinks you are wrong if you think they can be impartial just because they wear a black robe. The judges are not allowed to be involved in cases involving people or companies they have personal relationship to. This proves they are not able to automatically be impartial.

[Gevezener Chusid]

Wein-Reis was born in Midwood, Brooklyn in 1964 to a businessman and a teacher. After graduating from Bnos Leah Prospect Park Yeshiva in 1981, she attended Brooklyn College, but did not graduate. There, she met her husband, David Ruiz, who later converted to Judaism and changed his name to Reis. She graduated from Empire State College in 1987. The Reises have three sons.[2] (from wikipedia).

NOT Haredi - Prospect Park Yeshiva in 1981 was known as being pretty "modern" in Haredi circles. Certainly NO "heredi" family would want their kid marrying a CONVERT (God forbid) (I am being nastily facetious here)

[tooclose2detroit]

See, 2close?? I wasn't all that far off ;-)
2 posts denying that she's haredi and a pulsa denura against shmarya ;-)

Posted by: jay

if this woman is hareidi, then I am a liberal-if she had hareidi roots, that doesnt make her hareidi-i had gatz for roots-my father was a golfer chacham-somehow or another i learned how to learn gemora,and dig it like hell-still play golf, of course-people arent what they were born into, ya know?

[ergo proxy]

is she Haredi, yes or no? Come on, make up your minds here.

[Doesnt matter]

I'm from the west side I know the family VERY well, I can't believe how bad you make them look! i used to be interested in your blog but i think im starting to c the view of those who hate you. This is clearly one-sided reporting as they are def. not chareidi modern-rightwing is a closer description. they are really nice people. although i never realized this before, i now realize u r a true anti-semite and i don't plan on ever reading your poison again. (I'm personally not even religious anymore, so dont accuse me of any of that kinda religious crap, i was always a huge faan of you before this)

[Shmarya]

Please.

She stole millions of dollars.

But you think because she was nice to you I shouldn't report that?

Past that, she identified as haredi when I checked a few years ago.