New York – Former Head Of Chevra Hatzlah Pleads Guilty In Met Council Fraud, Faces Up To Four Years In Prison

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    FILE - (L-R): Former Met Council CEO, William E. Rapfogel, Senior Executive Consultant, Rabbi David Cohen (met council)New York –  David Cohen, a former executive director of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, pled guilty Wednesday to felony charges for stealing with other co-conspirators, approximately $9 million from the nonprofit organization in an insurance scheme dating back 20 years.

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    A press release published by the New York State Attorney General’s office states Cohen, 70, admitted to receiving about $650,000 in kickbacks and payments for personal expenses.

    Cohen, 70, pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the First Degree, Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree. He also agreed to pay $650,000 in restitution. Cohen could be sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison at his sentencing date of July 9.

    Cohen resigned as CEO of the Chevra Hatzalah volunteer ambulance service in September 2013 amid the allegations of fraud.

    William Rapfogel also admitted Wednesday that he helped steal money in the insurance scheme. The former CEO of the charity pled guilty to grand larceny, money laundering and other charges.

    Rapfogel will be sentenced to 3 1/3 years to 10 years in state prison.


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    14 Comments
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    HankM
    HankM
    9 years ago

    What are we Arabs?

    ayoyo
    ayoyo
    9 years ago

    These are the P’NEI HADOR who loved to be photographed while giving out handouts to the poor.

    Sherree
    Sherree
    9 years ago

    Unfortunately many of us forget that parnassah comes from Hashem and GREED comes from the Yetzer Horah!!!

    9 years ago

    He’ll probably walk much earlier when his rich friends pull some behind the scenes tricks.

    9 years ago

    its isru chaag and 3 frum yidden have pleaded guilty to various fraud charges. The malchus shel chesed was nice enough to allow these ganovim to spend yom tov with their families even though they were involved with stealing money that was intended for the poor.
    It might be high time an independent panel be set up of posshiter yidden to review the books of many of the tzedoka mosdos that have millions of dollars passing through its coffers on a daily basis. It is a joke that some of the administrator and heads of these organizations are making salaries of hundreds of thousands of dollars plus other perks that they would never get in the real woking world.
    If you think Willi was the only one skimming from tzedaka organizations you are a fool its just too bad that he got caught.
    We have hundreds of yidden out of work or living below the poverty level and you have these so called frum leaders pocketing money meant for the poor a shame to all of the rabbonim and askanim who gave these people kovod.
    I have no doubt that the appeals for their release are already paid for and everything will be quickly whitewashed until the next scandal.

    Isaac60
    Isaac60
    9 years ago

    Sorry I really don’t want to add coal to the fire, but we should all ask ourselves what the hell did Rappfogel need the money after a $350,000 plus payroll but if you a thief and it doesn’t matter how much you have, of all the money he stole, how much went for the poor and needy or most of it went for the greedy.

    Now lets go to David Cohen, for Hatzulah to hire him for $180,000 as a consultant is an outrage and fraud, what did he consult when the organization was running 35-40 years without him, every member in Central Hatzulah committee that approved his hiring and payroll should be removed by the rabbunim and held accountable or people should stop giving them money. the old lady who got her Holocaust check took of 36-50-72-100 dollars to give to this ganif. SHAME SHAME SHAME

    The “acting” President of Hatzulah in the lower eastside was told to remove himself form that position 20 years ago by a Beth Din in Washington Heights and he is still there, neighborhoods as Williamsburg, Boro park, Flatbush, Queens, Staten Island stand up or one day you will all end up the way he did for approving this nonsense.

    He was hired by a group in central Hatzulah for what, for his good looks.

    mewhoze
    mewhoze
    9 years ago

    yes #7 its isru chag and perhaps high time to stop judging people whether guilty or not. we are not ashem and we should just have rachmanus on our fellow yid. whatever was done , hopefully teshuvah is being done and I pray that Hashem have rachmanus on them and they can rebuild their lives in an ehrlich way and once again let their families walk without shame. they are yidden, they messed up. I learnt in yeshiva as a child that we are given nisayons every day from the yetzer hora and sadly sometimes the yetzer hora wins out. never be pompous as you don’t know what the future can bring you as well.

    emesveyatziv
    emesveyatziv
    9 years ago

    Hey its sfira!! Time to work on ahavas yisrael lets not judge!

    lazerx
    lazerx
    9 years ago

    this is so sad, that frum yidden would actually do such low things.

    Sherree
    Sherree
    9 years ago

    Let’s all recognize what the true issue is here. The true issue here is the lack of emunah in Hashem. The true issue here is the fact that people seem to forget that Hashem is watching. The true issue here is that we have to wonder what these “Yidden” and their friends are really upset about now? Are they upset about the crimes and chilul Hashem that was committed or are they upset that they were caught and personally humiliated????

    There is a big difference. And it is only when the rest of the Olam understands the difference will we see a change in the K’lal. If these egotists recognize just how bloated they had become and how far removed they were from their connection to Hashem that they broke one of the aseres hadibros right under Hashem’s nose without a qualm while still putting on tefillin and davening to Hashem three times a day and making brochas and not seeing the hypocrisy in that, then maybe they can do real teshuva and teach others the pitfalls of being baalei gayva. However, if all they are concerned about is their own busha, the loss of money they have to give back in retribution and the consequence they face by having to go to prison then they are still baslei gayva and still think only of themselves, not of the crimes they committed against others and not of the aveiros they committed against Hashem.

    What WE choose to learn from this is up to us. I’m sorry to say that this is not a matter of ahavas Yisroel. This is a matter of understanding Yiras Shamayim. This is a matter of understanding that Hashem is in charge. That parnasah comes from Hashem. Everything comes from Hashem and WE must always show gratitude not greed.