This morning, I wrote that disgraced former Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty CEO William E. Rapfogel had a haredi co-conspirator inside the Met Council who had initiated the fraud that eventually stole at least $5 million from the Met Council – and from its poverty-stricken clients. Here is that co-conspirator's name.
William E. Rapfogel, left and Rabbi David Cohen, right, allegedly stole millions of dollars from programs meant to help poor Jews
This morning, I wrote that disgraced former Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty CEO William E. Rapfogel had a haredi co-conspirator inside the Met Council who had initiated the fraud that eventally stole at least $5 million from the Met Council – and from its poverty-stricken clients.
However, I ddi not name that co-conspirator because I had not confirmed the information I had.
But this afternoon he has essentially been named by the Forward:
…Rabbi Dovid Cohen who ran the group in the 1980s, was dumped as a paid fundraising consultant for the Jewish anti-poverty agency in August, an individual familiar with the Met Council said. Because of the ongoing investigation, the source declined to be identified.
Cohen now works as executive director of the Jewish ambulance service Chevra Hatzalah. He was executive director of the New York-based Met Council from 1979 until Rapfogel succeeded him in 1992. Besides his continued work for the agency as an executive consultant, Cohen spoke at its annual Legislative Breakfast in June.When it fired Rapfogel and disclosed the existence of the alleged scandal, the Met Council made no mention of the move to end its years-long relationship with Cohen.
A statement the agency released August 12 said that its internal investigation had revealed no wrongdoing by current Met Council employees. Cohen was a former employee and a contractor.
Cohen did not respond to numerous messages left on his cell phone.
His attorney, Alan Abramson, declined a request for comment.A felony complaint filed against Rapfogel in Manhattan Criminal Court on September 24 charged him with having stolen $5 million from the Met Council over two decades. But it described a criminal scheme that began even before the Met Council hired Rapfogel.
According to the complaint, a Met Council employee initiated the scheme shortly before Rapfogel became executive director. That employee, who talked to investigators, allegedly brought Rapfogel into the scheme once Rapfogel was hired. The Met Council employee is not identified in the complaint.
Abramson did not respond to an inquiry asking whether Cohen was that employee.…
Rapfogel is Modern Orthodox, Cohen is haredi (Yeshiva Chaim Berlin), and the insurance broker who is also a co-conspirator, Joseph "Yossi" Ross, is a Breslov hasid.
The criminal complaint:
Download William E Rapfogel Criminal Complaint
William E. Rapfogel's Haredi Co-Conspirator Inside The Metropolitan Council On Jewish Poverty.