Haredi "General" Pleads Guilty In Eliyahu Weinstein Fraud

Fred Todd, 61, of Lakewood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of transacting in criminal proceeds. Todd is a haredi rabbi who ran a smicha program and vetted chaplains for the US Armed Services.

 

As FailedMessiah.com was the first to report last year, Todd was the lead CW (cooperating witness) in the second Weinstein fraud case:

Attorney Admits Role in Investment and Real Estate Frauds

TRENTON, NJ—An Ocean County, New Jersey, attorney today admitted his role in a scheme that defrauded investors in connection with a Facebook IPO and several real estate deals, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

[Rabbi General] Fred Todd, 61, of Lakewood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of transacting in criminal proceeds.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Todd is an attorney with offices in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, California. His two co-defendants, Eliyahu Weinstein, 39, of Lakewood, and Aaron Glucksman, 41, of Brooklyn, New York, have already pleaded guilty to charges related to their roles in the scheme.

Weinstein, already convicted and sentenced to 22 years in prison in a separate Ponzi scheme, pleaded guilty on Sept. 3, 2014, to three counts of an indictment pending against him: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of committing wire fraud while on pretrial release, and one count of money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on those charges on Dec. 15, 2014.

Glucksman has also pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Judge Pisano on May 5, 2014, to 52 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered him to forfeit $1.2 million. Judge Pisano ordered Glucksman’s sentence to run partially concurrently with a 36-month sentence recently imposed by U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Dearie of the Eastern District of New York in an unrelated case.

In February 2012, Todd and his conspirators offered a pair of investors (referred to in the information as the “Facebook victims”) the opportunity to purchase large blocks of Facebook shares prior to the company’s initial public offering, or IPO, in May 2012. The offer was particularly attractive because large blocks of the shares were extremely difficult to get and were expected to increase in value at the time of the IPO. Weinstein and his conspirators did not actually have access to the shares.

Based on misrepresentations by the conspirators, the Facebook victims wired millions of dollars between February and March of 2012 to an account Weinstein and a conspirator controlled. Weinstein and another conspirator provided investors with false documents showing companies owned by various conspirators held assets, which would secure the Facebook victims’ investment.

The conspirators did not use any of the Facebook victims’ money to purchase Facebook shares, instead misappropriating it for their own use.

Around the same time, Todd and his conspirators also persuaded victims to invest in the purported purchase of an apartment complex in Florida. They told the victims that Weinstein had the opportunity to purchase the notes on the condominiums at a discounted price and immediately flip it at a substantial profit. The victims wired money to complete the purchase, but Todd and his conspirators instead used the money for their own purposes.

The conspiracy count to which Todd pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison; the transacting in criminal proceeds count carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Both are also punishable by a potential fine of $250,000 or twice the gross loss or gain from the scheme, whichever is greater.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan D. Larsen, for their role in the investigation.

The government is represented by Counsel to the U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig; Gurbir S. Grewal, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zach Intrater of the Economic Crimes Unit; and Evan S. Weitz of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit.

This case was brought in coordination with President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorney’s offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.

Related:

All Eliyahu Weinstein Posts.

All Rabbi Fred "Fishel" Todd Posts.

All Alex Schlieder Posts.

All Aaron Mushel Posts.

Comments

[Milhouse]

Shmarya, I was surprised you gave this blog any attention.

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2014/09/rivky-stein-yoel-weiss-failed-messiah.html#disqus_thread

[Shmarya Rosenberg]

You mean that I responded to some of the lies posted about me and then to the garbage Eidensohn and his brother posted? I find it appalling that a so-called rabbi who moderates every comment posted on his blog allows anonymous comments to post libelous material about people. But he does – as long as he dislike the subjects of the libel. So I responded to point that out. He’s a fool and his brother is a true idiot and an evil man.

[Dispatcher]

Rabbi Moshe Lehrfield, Esquire - lawyer to the fraudsters - strikes again!

[adams]

so basically what is this double jeporday he's trying?

[getnotvalid]

so when does moshe lehrfeld plead guilty

i hear that the chofetz chiam board has had meetings to discuss what to do if he is arrested

[adams]

this would mke a good movie

[s]

who are the two eidensohns? there's only a picture of one on the blog?

[moiraiv'raboisai]

What amazes me is how Scott scrambles to defend himself on another blog. It is like he has something to hide. But resorting to his tactics of name calling and all on someone else's blog is stooping to such an unclassy low. Looks like he has something to hide. All are urged to read it here.http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2014/09/rivky-stein-yoel-weiss-failed-messiah.html#disqus_thread

I especially like this part: Ask around Monsey regarding Shmarya's brief attendance at Leib Tropper's yeshiva Kol Yaakov in the early 1980s. Shmarya dropped out of the yeshiva but continued to loaf around Monsey doing essentially nothing for a while. Because of a hugely shameful incident he was behind one day that the police responded to at the beis medrash previously known as Charedim, Shmarya goes ape and denies he ever stepped foot in Monsey or ever had any connection to Leib Tropper. Never mind that Shmarya's grandfather was the infamous mafia figure Leon Gleckman. The Monsey incident says a lot about Shmarya himself.

[ben yomo]

SR - you do realize these comments are being hijacked by Fishel Todd sockpuppets to keep this story buried. Todd was willing to throw the reputation of hundreds of students of his yeshiva under the bus to protect his "honor" (must be why he's a general. I heard from one of their students that he seems to be writing these desparate weekly emails to the Pirchei students under someone else's name and that apparently a couple of weeks ago, he accidently attached an internal memo from him to to one of his flunkies together with an application from a prospective student who he was trying to steer to another course. Sad. I understand that his yeshiva tried to meet when this whole thing broke but that he threatened everyone with dismissal if they weren't loyal to him. Apparently some quit and others were fired.

[noname]

Moirav:
I especially like this part of the story I heard about you: During your lunch break from the sales counter at that photo store in Manhattan you went to a grocery store and bought a Haagen Dasz ice cream. Does your wife know you dont eat cholov yisroel when in Manhattan? Does your son's Rebbe?

[ben yomo]

Wow - SR - you reproduce almost word for word a release issued by the USDOJ and the critics are out for your blood on various UNRELATED topics? Todd must have a powerful IT force at work - I bet all those posters are the same guy or the posts are originating from the same place (Todd's son is the IT guy I believe)

[A US Military Chaplain on Active Duty]

"General" Todd cannot keep this story private.

It has already been distributed to most of the Jewish Chaplains in the Armed Forces of US, including Jewish Chaplains endorsed by Todd and Jewish Chaplains not endorsed by Todd.

The reaction has been as expected. Those Chaplains endorsed by Todd are in dis-belief. The Chaplains who are not endorsed by Todd are, quite frankly, not so surprised.

The story has also been sent to each of the Chief of Chaplains of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

The Chilul HaShem is going to be beyond massive. Woe to use.

[noname]

@A-US MC
Can you please explain the endorsement process?
thanks

[Southwest Asia Combat Veteran]

The "US Military Chaplain on Active Duty" is the Chillul Hash-m! The Torah doen't not permit us to be happy about the problems of another Jew, yet "US Military Chaplain on Active Duty" seems to be enjoying another Yid's tzar...NEBACH!

As a 20-year retired, US Air Force Combat Veteran who has had the tremendous privilege of serving/participating with many, many Chaplains worldwide, the over 10 Jewish Chaplain’s endorsed by Rabbi Todd and his wonderful YPS organization are all the “cream of the crop” and literally serve on the front lines along with seasoned combat troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout the world. They are all talmedei chochamim who are well versed & fluent in Shas, Mishneh Brurah, and all areas of Halacha (Jewish Law) in addition to being fluent in Hebrew, English, & in some cases many other languages. The tremendous positive impact to our war fighting effort has been enhanced by Rabbi Todd’s endorsed Jewish Chaplains

We hope and pray that Rabbi Todd will survive this matzav as his continued service to our country is desperately needed. May Hash-m continue to bless Rabbi Todd and his wonderful Jewish Chaplain’s Corps of seasoned Combat Chaplains whose services have comforted thousands of combat soldiers (Jewish and otherwise) and continue to sanctify G-d’s name where ever they are serving. G-d bless the United States, our soldiers, our chaplains, and the awesome mensch, Rabbi Fishel Todd, Esq.

[getnotvalid]

let the chaplain who just posted dsy the following
i deplore rabbi todds actions and i will write a letter to the judge to tell him about the good that he did

nevertheless he stole and admitted to committing serious fraud couldnt the southwest combat veteran admit that he should repay the stolen money and how is he such a mench if he forgot one of the ten commandments

he is needed to resign his post now, so the additional chillul hashem of him being removed by the army shouldnt occur

[A US Military Chaplain on Active Duty]

Re.: The posting from "Southwest Asia Combat Veteran":

Rabbi Fishel Todd, Esq. (the Esq. title will soon be jettisoned from his signature block) is an "awesome mensch"?

Todd just admitted to participating in the theft of millions of dollars from from many people, including Orthodox Jews. He will soon be sentenced to a long prison term.

You think he should continue his role as an endorser of Rabbis for the US military from a jail cell?

What world are you living in?

[ben yomo]

Uh hello - the SW Asia Vet IS Todd. (you didn't pick that up?)apparently he is still in deep denial - that's the true sign of the narcissist - he was willing to throw hundreds of guys under the bus (yes the guys who are in disbelief - some hurt - some angry at the betrayal - to protect his "name and so-called reputation.

Yes - his disbarment is automatic - but if yeshiva had any cojones (or anyone left to do it - the main players either quit when Todd tried to cover this mess up or they were purged shortly thereafter) they would rabbinically disbar him (defrock?)

"They are all talmedei chochamim who are well versed & fluent in Shas, Mishneh Brurah, and all areas of Halacha (Jewish Law) in addition to being fluent in Hebrew, English, & in some cases many other languages. "

Uh - I think not. A guy in my shul used to go to the Todd semicha weekends. I asked him about the chaplains - he said they were all very nice guys but basically "Artscroll lite" kinda guys" is how he put it.

[A US Military Chaplain on Active Duty]

Ben Yomo: Thanks. I concur. I have met and worked with several of the Todd-endorsed Rabbis. Except for one or two, they are all basically brand-new ba'aley tshuva.

Yes, they are decent guys. Many had prior military service before they became Chaplains.

However, despite their dedication, their Torah-knowledge is limited, at best.

[BronxJew]

@ Southwest Asia Combat Veteran:
Let me correct you. In the Modern Orthodox world, Smichah from the Chief Rabbinate in Israel is equivalent to Harvard, Smicha from RIETS (YU) is equivalent to NYU, Smicha from Chovevei Torah is equivalent to Apex Technical Institute, Smicha from Lubavitch is equivalent to International Correspondence Schools, and Smicha from Pirchei Shoshanim is equivalent to a Charles Atlas membership card.

[Lo Kadarka]

@ Southwest Asia Combat Veteran
You posted exactly the same on May 19, 2013.
What gives?
PTSD got you? Shellshocked? Bad dreams keeping you awake at night?
Please seek professional help.