Former Agriprocessors Manager Appeals Extradition Order
Hosam Amara fled to Israel with the help of Sholom Rubashkin shortly after the May 12, 2008 immigration raid on Agriprocessors that resulted in 389 arrests of undocumented workers. He was indicted on harboring aliens for profit, aggravated identity theft charges, and related conspiracy and abetting charges along with being implicated in other crimes. In December of last year, an Israeli court ordered his extradition to the US. But Amara is still free in Israel, appealing his extradition order to Israel's highest court.
Hosam Amara, left, and Ze'ev Levi, right.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports:
….But that [extradition] decision was appealed to Israel's Supreme Court, said Peter Deegan, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Iowa. He said prosecutors are currently awaiting a ruling from that court.
Amara remains free pending the decision, Deegan said.
Amara is charged with harboring and conspiracy to harbor undocumented aliens for profit, conspiracy to commit document fraud and aiding and abetting document fraud. He had been charged with flight to avoid prosecution, but that charge was dismissed at the government's request in April 2009.
Another Agriprocessors official still sought in connection with the raid, former first-shift poultry manager Zeev Levi, remains at large.
In the weeks leading up to the raid, Levi and Amara allegedly told a poultry supervisor that several of his workers were to be let go because they were working under bad employment documents, records state. They said six workers could continue to work if they got new documents.
Court records also allege that Amara was involved in a scheme to buy vehicles from a Cedar Rapids dealership and sell them to undocumented workers.…
That scheme involved Amara illegally selling junk used cars at outrageously high prices to undocumented individuals seeking jobs at Agriprocessors. Buying a car from Amara was allegedly a precondition for getting hired.
Amara is also implicated in the systematic sexual abuse and rape of female undocumented Agriprocessors workers and other abuses.
Amara is an Israeli Arab. Ze'ev Levi is an Israeli Jew.
As expected. Just surprised it took this long to hear he was appealing the extradition order. Now the question is who Hosam will find to support his "good character" and come to his defense, thereby defeating the extradition order ... hmmm probably someone from Kfar Chabad or other Haredi community who is afraid Hosam will provider enough evidence to convict Wiesmandl and other members of the Kosher Nostra.
Posted by: state of disgust | March 16, 2012 at 04:32 PM
Ze'ev Levi is on the Homeland Security 10 Most Wanted list. If you know his location, call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
Amara was a manager at Agriprocessors. He seems to have been directly involved in organizing the illegal immigration, so DHS wants him.
Sholom Rubashkin wasn't convicted on immigration related charges because, without Amara and Levi, there was insufficient evidence to prove Rubashkin knew. Rubashkin could end up with an even longer sentence if Amara is returned to the US and testifies.
Posted by: John Nagle, Silicon Valley, CA | March 16, 2012 at 05:12 PM
Why do I suspect that if the books of the "Rubashkin Pidyon Shevuyim Fund" were open it would show payments for Amara's legal fight? Maybe because Amara could implicate Rubashkin on many more charges? And if the Pidyon Shevuyim Fund is not paying Amara's legal fees, then why do I get this feeling that Rubashkin's family is, with money squirelled away and hidden in different corners of the world?
Posted by: Abracadabra: World Famous Mekubal, Gadol, Baal Moifes & Lamed Vavnik. Brachos Only $36, 3 for $100. | March 17, 2012 at 07:33 PM