Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Poway Chabad Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein pleads guilty to tax fraud

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/poway-chabad-rabbi-yisroel-goldstein-pleads-guilty-to-tax-fraud-635092

 The rabbi who lost a finger in a shooting attack on a Chabad synagogue in Poway, California, in 2019 pleaded guilty to tax fraud.
 
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein pleaded guilty Tuesday in a scheme in which donors contributed to his synagogue but then got most of the money back, enabling the donor to claim a tax deduction. A charging document detailing the scheme was unsealed in federal court in San Diego, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The scheme resulted in more than $6.2 million in fraudulent donations, resulting in a $1.5 million loss to the federal government. Goldstein could face up to five years in prison.

2 comments :

  1. Going through all the crimes reported in this article, I asked myself which was the worst.

    One might think stealing from government programs like FEMA might be the worst, not to detract from the severity of the other crimes. FEMA is about saving lives and property of citizens. But there was no evidence presented that anybody, aside from the government, directly suffered losses related to the theft.

    So I tentatively conclude that the worst crime was being a Moser. The article implies that he worked with the Feds to finger his buddies. That's my reading.

    First Yisroel Goldstein conspired with others to rip off the government, which if we think about it, means stealing from the people of this country. Then when things got hot he benefited by essentially handing his co-conspirators over to the prosecutors.

    He was allegedly involved in intricate financial dealings, each which required expertise and many criminal decisions along the way.

    So, where is the statement from Chabad HQ urging that new protocols be put in place at all Chabad associated organizations so that accounting is transparent and regularly audited by third parties? I'm not saying there is no such document. I'm only asking where it is if it does exist, and if it doesn't exist, why doesn't it?

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  2. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/poway-chabad-rabbi-yisroel-goldstein-pleads-guilty-to-tax-fraud-635092
    “Goldstein, 58, pleaded guilty to his role in several long-running, multimillion dollar schemes involving tax, real estate, insurance and grant frauds, some of which stretched back to the 1980s. Omar Meisel, the acting head of the FBI in San Diego, said the investigation uncovered $18 million in "complex financial schemes" by Goldstein and co-defendants, with the rabbi "at the center of illegal activity" that went on for years. One such scheme, known as the "90-10" fraud, had donors make large contributions to Chabad of Poway but then secretly get most of the money back. Typically, Goldstein would keep 10% - then funnel the remaining 90% back to the donor, according to a charging document unsealed in San Diego federal court Tuesday.”
    Say 1985. 2020-1985=35 58-35=23. A young fellow about 23, recent Rabbi, sore temptation of easy illegal money. Understandable, sad. Lesson to everyone.
    Pacer: Case 3:14-cr-00287-FLW Document 484 Filed 05/19/20 Page 1 of 17 PageID: 9161
    On Mendel Epstein, age 74. Say 1985. 2020-1985=35 74-35=39. Sore temptation of easy money. Judge Freda writes:
    “Considering these factors first, I cannot overstate the serious nature of Defendant’s crime. Defendant’s underlying criminal conduct was severe and violent. He not only relied upon his status in his religious community to recruit young and impressionable men to commit kidnapping-related crimes, he convinced them that their conduct was sanctioned by their religion. While Defendant was only convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, the criminal conspiracy lasted for years, and he was involved in multiple kidnappings where violence occurred.”
    Rabbi Goldstein’s conduct was never severe and never violent. Rabbi Goldstein never recruited young and impressionable followers to commit similar crimes. Rabbi Goldstein never implied that his conduct was sanctioned by his religion. I would expect Rabbi Epstein and his supporters to apologize and to defend themselves. To say that they never were severe and never violent. It was just a show to get the recalcitrant husband to realize his error. Rabbi Epstein and his supporters should say their conduct is absolutely not sanctioned by their religion. They erred and apologize and beg forgiveness. They ask that ORA and Agunah International shut down their websites and activities.

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