Founder Of Save A Torah Charged With Fraud

Defendant Allegedly Fabricated Stories Of "Rescuing" Torahs Lost Or Hidden During The Holocaust To Steal Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars.

MENACHEM YOULUS

MANHATTAN U.S. ATTORNEY CHARGES MARYLAND FOUNDER OF "SAVE A TORAH" CHARITY WITH FRAUD  

Defendant Allegedly Fabricated Stories Of "Rescuing" Torahs Lost Or Hidden During The Holocaust To Steal Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars
 
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and RONALD J. VERROCHIO, the Inspector-in-Charge of the New York Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service ("USPIS"), announced today the arrest of MENACHEM YOULUS, a founder of the "Save a Torah" charity, which purported to "rescue" Torah scrolls lost or hidden during the Holocaust, for allegedly defrauding the charity and its donors of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  YOULUS, who billed himself as the "Jewish Indiana Jones," fabricated detailed accounts of having found Torahs lost or hidden during the Holocaust in Europe, including in Auschwitz and the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, and in other places around the world.  He then used those false accounts as a platform for soliciting contributions to Save a Torah, some of which he embezzled by diverting them directly into his personal bank accounts.  In other instances, YOULUS allegedly submitted inflated and doctored invoices to Save a Torah to increase the amount he was reimbursed by the charity for the "rescued" Torahs, which, in at least some instances, he had simply purchased from other Torah dealers.
 
The case is being handled by the Office's Complex Frauds Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys NICOLE FRIEDLANDER and JANIS ECHENBERG are in charge of the prosecution.

Here's the whole press release, including much more information on the alleged fraud, as a PDF file:

Download Youlus, Menachem Complaint PR

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Letter from Washington: Haredi Torah 'Rescuer' Should Be Held Accountable For Scam

Deal Reached Over Haredi Holocaust Torah Claims

Comments

[itchiemayer]

It's about time. His (alleged)fraud has been public knowledge for some time.

[Abcdef]

His fraud was pretty obvious to anyone with a brain. As soon as I read about some of his "rescues" of the Torah Scrolls I knew he was full of it.

I think the only way people actually could have believed his stories is if they wanted to believe them.

[Dr. Dave]

Do some people have absolutely no decency?

[jancsipista]

that he got away with this from the getgo is astonishing his lies were tottaly transparent anyone with half a brain saw this i could not beleive when i first read about him that he actually made up such a story but then i realized its impossible his stories its was a no brainer to me.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

But, are there torahs out there that actually need to be rescued?

I would surprised if there wasn't.

But every time a shmock like this gets found out it makes it harder to believe that these charities actualy do what they are supposed to do.

Even when they do, what percentage of your money actualy ends up being used for the correct purpose?

[Isa]

""""Even when they do, what percentage of your money actualy ends up being used for the correct purpose?"""

5% and if the charity is REAL honest then 10%

[Q]

I saw him speak a couple of years ago at a elementary school. He gave out a bunch of Megillos, claiming that they were from the 15th century, and he handed them out as if they were tissues. t struck me as crazy, becuase a brand new one is not allowed to be handeled that way, let alone a expensive antique.

[How sad]

Rachmonis on his family

[Guest]

I always get calls from fundraisers for non-Jewish charities asking for money. I ask them, "What percentage of the money I donate goes directly to the charity?" Legally, they are required to tell me.

From all the answers I got, the most was 11%.
The best answer I got was, "Well you know, our overhead is very large, and we guarantee that the charity gets at least 7%"

Does anyone know the commission for fundraisers in the Orthodox world?

[David]

Does anyone know the commission for fundraisers in the Orthodox world?

Posted by: Guest | August 24, 2011 at 04:07 PM

I'm not sure but I will guarantee you that they won't be doing for nothing, or even for a modest percentage....

[HeshMan]

Does anyone know the commission for fundraisers in the Orthodox world?

Its about 49% of the money they raise.

[ah-pee-chorus]

this guy smells like garbage.

[New Skvere for Old Rectangles]

Oy, vey, he will probably discover a Torah scroll hidden in the floorboards of the jail cell and claim it was from the time of Peter Stuyvesant.

[netflix]

\New Skvere for Old Rectangles

grt name

[Jay]

STATEMENT FROM RICK ZITELMAN, PRESIDENT, SAVE A TORAH, INC.

In July 2010, following a review by the Maryland Attorney General's Office of all requested information and documents, Save A Torah, Inc., and the Maryland Attorney General's Office concluded an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance pursuant to Maryland law.

This Agreement made no finding or implication of any wrongdoing on the part of Save A Torah, Inc. ("SATI") or its representatives, including Rabbi Menachem Youlus. The Agreement explicitly states that it "is for conciliation purposes only and does not constitute an admission by SATI that any law has been violated." The voluntary-compliance provisions set forth in the Agreement had been implemented in February 2010, with the adoption of SATI's Ethics Policy.

As provided by its Ethics Policy, SATI is committed to "take all reasonable steps necessary to ensure that its board members, employees, independent contractors and other agents will only describe where a Torah was found or provide an account of its rescue if there is documentation or an independent verifiable witness to such history." Without such proof, "there will be no discussion of the circumstances under which the Torah was rescued so that those who dedicate or receive rescued Torahs can do so with total confidence."

We remain exceedingly grateful for the support we have received from members of our community in recent months, including many who have dedicated or received a Torah through Save A Torah, Inc.

Save A Torah, Inc., continues to be committed to its mission of locating and acquiring Torahs which have survived the Holocaust or have been taken from Jewish communities in other locations around the world. We will continue to inspect, repair and restore these Torahs, through the work of trained soferim, so that they can be resettled in communities in need of a Torah, providing financial assistance if necessary. We will also continue to research and identify the communities and original owners of our rescued Torahs and return the Torahs to the surviving owners whenever possible.

[ah-pee-chorus]

i doubt this guy has ever located even one hidden torah.

[Joe in Australia]

I presume the Torah scrolls he was selling were all second-hand, because new Torah scrolls are easily recognised. So where did they come from? Closed synagogues, cast-offs, or from thieves?

[ruthie]

it belongs in a museum. (my bank account)

[Chicago Sam]

About five weeks ago I received a subpoena from the DA regarding this trial. Without going into detail, I urged the attorney to throw the book at him--if the charges against him proved to be valid. I guess they did.

Youlous committed a huge Hillul HaShem; now, anti-Semites will portray Jews as exploiting the Holocaust for the sake of money. Such cynical behavior dishonors the memories of the victims.

[Isa]

"""""I presume the Torah scrolls he was selling were all second-hand, because new Torah scrolls are easily recognised. So where did they come from? Closed synagogues, cast-offs, or from thieves?

Posted by: Joe in Australia | August 25, 2011 at 01:22 AM """"""""

Try Ebay