Rabbi Leib Glanz Pleads Not Guilty
A former jailhouse rabbi who lost his job for granting favors to Jewish inmates pleaded not guilty this morning to charges he scammed more than $220,000 in federal housing benefits.
Rabbi Leib Glanz
Ex-jail rabbi pleads 'not guilty' in housing scam
BRUCE GOLDING • New York Post
The former jailhouse rabbi who lost his job for granting favors to Jewish inmates pleaded not guilty this morning to charges he scammed more than $220,000 in federal housing benefits.
Rabbi Leib Glanz -- who quit as a corrections chaplain after The Post exposed a bar mitzvah bash he arranged inside the Tombs -- is accused with his younger brother of running a 15-year fraud on the Section 8 rent-subsidy program for the poor.
During their arraignment in Manhattan federal court, the bearded, yarmulke-wearing men said only two words: "Not guilty."
Prosecutor Justin Anderson said the evidence against them consisted of about 200 pages of documents, including bank statements, credit-card bills and employment records.
Anderson said he planned to hand over the papers to the defense within two weeks.
He also said sides planned to discuss a possible "pre-trial disposition" before the brothers' next court appearance in March.
According to the feds, Leib swindled up to $1,675 a month in taxpayer funds by illegally occupying a Brooklyn duplex that had been approved for his brother, Menashe, who actually lived in another home nearby.
The politically connected leader of the Satmar Hasidic community allegedly pulled off the scam by signing a housing contract on behalf of the building's owner, the United Talmudical Academy, which he once ran.
Meanwhile, Menashe allegedly paid the UTA less than $100 a month to cover the rest of the rent, in what the city Department of Investigation termed the "the largest individual case of tenant fraud" it has ever seen.
Outside court, Menashe's lawyer, Charles Stillman, said: "We're going to take a look at the documents and figure out the right way to go forward."
Leib's lawyer, Alan Vinegrad, declined to comment.
Yes he is unfortunately guilty, but he is a good hearted Jew helps all not only Charedim, and sadly lost his adult daughter, mother of 4 children, a few months ago.
When it rains it pours.
Posted by: Flatbusher | January 05, 2012 at 05:08 PM
A "good hearted" Jewish thief.
Posted by: Harvey | January 05, 2012 at 05:56 PM
It is not fair to single out Rebbi Glanz and making a scape goat out of the man, when entire Satmar community does exact same thing and nobody bothers them.
This looks like vindictive justice.
Posted by: who knows | January 05, 2012 at 06:30 PM
Big mistake. they will eat him alive.
Posted by: Dave | January 05, 2012 at 07:26 PM
So,are you suggesting that the entire Satmar community belongs in prison by his side?
Posted by: SkepticalYid | January 05, 2012 at 07:27 PM
Get rid of all welfare, food stamps, section 8, etc. for EVERYONE who is not physically disabled. The system is corrupt and begs for people to swindle it. It has to be gotten rid of.
Posted by: Gevezener Chusid | January 05, 2012 at 08:33 PM
B"H
Italian american recently asked me if I can pay him off the books because he needs to collect his unemployment soc security disability and food stamps. I told him I can't afford to go to jail.
Posted by: simple jew | January 05, 2012 at 09:48 PM
++simple jew | January 05, 2012 at 09:48 PM
I told him I can't afford to go to jail.++
You are absolutely correct. Too bad so many other people, including a lot of frumma yidden, can't grasp that concept. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
Posted by: WoolSilkCotton | January 06, 2012 at 01:19 PM