Earl Seth David, an Orthodox Jew who billed himself as Rabbi Avraham David and wrote articles and a book on supposed codes in the Torah and on Kabbalah, was extradited yesterday from Canada to New York City where he was arraigned on massive immigration fraud charges.
The spokesperson for US Atorney for teh Southern District of New York writes:
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the extradition of EARL SETH DAVID, a/k/a “Rabbi Avrahom David,” from Canada to face charges of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud, conspiracy to make false statements to immigration authorities, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges relate to the alleged operation of a massive immigration fraud mill – through a Manhattan-based law practice – in which DAVID and his co-conspirators applied for legal status for tens of thousands of illegal aliens based on phony claims that U.S. employers had “sponsored” those aliens for employment in the United States. DAVID and the other participants in the scheme took in millions of dollars in illicit proceeds from the illegal aliens who utilized their services. DAVID, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, was arrested in Canada on October 11, 2011, when the Indictment against him was unsealed. Following his extradition by Canadian authorities, DAVID arrived in the Southern District of New York on January 24, 2012, and was presented and arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael H. Dolinger. The case against DAVID and 11 other defendants is pending before U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, and the next conference before Judge Buchwald is scheduled for January 30, 2012, at 4:00 p.m.
David pleaded not guilty:
Former Rabbi, attorney, denies immigration fraud charges
NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters) - A rabbi accused of running a New York law firm that made millions of dollars in an illegal immigration scheme pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to fraud charges.
Prosecutors said Earl David, 47, fled New York for Canada in 2006 when he heard his law firm and colleagues were being investigated. The dual Canadian-U.S. citizen was arrested in Canada in October and extradited to New York on Tuesday.
Authorities said that beginning in 1996, David and others would charge up to $30,000 to file fake employment letters on behalf of illegal immigrants in order to convince U.S. immigration authorities the aliens were coming into the country legally.
In 2003, writing under the name Earl Avraham David, the rabbi authored "Code of the Heart," a treatise on Hebrew numerology that purported to reveal predictions of future events in the Bible based on a hidden code.
Federal prosecutors said David used a bank account in the name of his book to continue to profit from his fraudulent scheme even after he escaped to Canada.
Despite being suspended from practicing law in New York state since 2004, David continued to operate the immigration fraud mill from Canada, authorities said.
On Wednesday, David pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court to immigration fraud, money laundering and conspiracy charges. He faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted.…
Here's the complete press release as a PDF file: