Sefrardi Haredi Kabbalist Allegedly Violates Plea Deal, Causing His Defense Attorneys To Flee The Case

Three of Sefardi haredi kabbalist Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto’s attorneys – Moshe Mazor, Ro'i Bichler and Eli Zahar – have abruptly filed to withdraw from his case after Pinto allegedly violated the terms of his plea deal in his bribery case.

Above: Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto

Sefardi Haredi Kabbalist Allegedly Violates Plea Deal, Causing His Defense Attorneys To Flee The Case
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

Three of Sefardi haredi kabbalist Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto’s attorneys – Moshe Mazor, Ro'i Bichler and Eli Zahar – have abruptly filed to withdraw from his case after Pinto allegedly violated the terms of his plea deal, Arutz Sheva reported based on a report in the Israeli Hebrew Language news website Walla.

All three represented Pinto for a long time and reportedly led the negotiations with the state prosecutor’s office for the plea deal.

Pinto admitted trying to bribe a senior police officer, former Unit Lahav 433 Commander Menashe Arbiv, in exchange for a steep reduction in the charges against him and an agreement that he would serve no more than one year in prison for the crimes.

Pinto's wife – who was involved in her husband’s crimes – gave an interview to Channel 2 news last week in which she claimed both she and her husband are innocent of all charges. This interview violated the terms of the plea deal, but observers claim that it is likely not a serious enough violation on its own to have compelled the attorneys to ask to resign from Pinto’s case.

In a separate but related case, Pinto allegedly tried to bribe another senior police officer, Ephraim Bracha, with $200,000 in cash (in Swiss francs). Pinto’s wife delivered the cash to Bracha’s wife. Both Bracha’s were wearing wires and the attempted bribe was recorded.

Pinto was trying to get information on the criminal investigation into the Hazon Yeshaya charity Pinto was associated with and his cronies ran. Those cronies and, allegedly, Pinto stole "tens of millions of dollars" in food donations earmarked for elderly Holocaust survivors. Pinto and his cronies allegedly sold the food on the black market and pocketed the cash.

Pinto is worth tens of millions of dollars according to Forbes and is one of the richest rabbis in Israel.

Pinto’s new attorneys are reportedly Yaron Lipsker and Eyal Rosovsky.

Comments

[first cousin of yaacov the camel driver from the levant]

pinto actually looks like a slimey character but that's what it takes to fool the folloish people?; they see something in his bullshit and swallow up his claptrap.a gutten yor.

[dh]

Hmmm, not so fast with that headline, Buster. "Flee"? "Flee The Case"? Criminals "flee." Attorneys "Substitute Out."

Personally, I think it was that interview that caused them to substitute out. It may have been discreet in their contract with the Pintos because they are so high strung. And there are other counsel already waiting in the wings. They made a lot of money negotiating this give away. I was probably a professional coups. What do they need with any more headaches. It can only go down hill from now.

"Flee," Gimme a break. You're a goofball.