Postville, IA – Rubashkin Arrested, Released On $1 Million Bond, Plant Partially Closed Down

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    Federal agents escort Sholom Rubashkin. [Photo Credit: Jonathan D. Woods/The Gazette]Postville, IA – Federal prosecutors have arrested Sholom Rubashkin, former chief executive officer and vice president at Agriprocessors and son of company founder Aaron Rubashkin, on a criminal complaint that alleges the man conspired in immigration-related offenses.

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    The criminal complaint is the first against any high-level member of Agriprocessors management and comes in the wake of a massive May 12 immigration raid at the plant. In all, 389 workers — nearly half the plant’s workforce — was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

    Court Documents Here

    According to documents filed with the court, Rubashkin “did knowingly conspire, confederate and agree with others, for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain, to harbor one or more aliens at his place of employment in Postville, Iowa, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that such aliens had come to, entered and remained in the United States and aided and abetted the possession and use of fraudulent identification documents and aided and abetted aggravated identity theft.”

    According to Michael Fischels, a special agent with the Dept. of Homeland Security, dozens of fraudulent permanent resident alien cards were discovered and seized from offices within the human resources department at Agriprocessors during the May 12 raid.

    “Most of the cards were attached to application paperwork dated May 11 or May 12, 2008,” Fischels wrote in the affidavit filed with the court. “Additional resident alien cards were groups in stacks and not attached to any paperwork. Based upon common features, ICE agents determined that the vast majority of the fraudulent resident alien cards came from the same manufacturer. Out of approximately 96 fraudulent resident alien cards, approximately 90 exhibited alien registration numbers which were then assigned to other actual persons.”

    Fischels added that approximately 13 of the cards taken from the offices had photographs of people known to be working at the plant prior to May 11. All but two of the cards, however, “exhibited names which were different than the names the employees had been working under.”

    The fraudulent resident alien cards are crucial to the case the government is making against Rubashkin because they are a physical link to claims made by former employees that Rubashkin provided $4,500 in cash as a loan to employees who could not afford to update their falsified documents.

    The former plant supervisors, who remain unidentified in the affidavit, allegedly met with Rubashkin near the barn area on the Agriprocessors’ grounds on May 8 and asked for $4,500 to help employees slated for termination purchase new fraudulent documents. According to court documents, Rubashkin provided the supervisors the money in cash the following morning.

    The unidentified supervisor, who worked in the beef-kill area, in turn presented employees in that department with $200 each as a loan so the employees could purchase the new documents from a different plant foreman, who was arranging for the purchase of the falsified documents. The documents for 39 or 40 employees were brought to the plant on May 11 by the foreman and distributed by the foreman and the unnamed supervisor.

    An unidentified human resources employee is quoted in the affidavit as saying that s/he was personally asked by Sholom Rubashkin to process a large number of new employee applications on May 11. This same employee suspected that the new applicants were the employees slated for termination the previous Friday, and also identified at least one of the applicants as such.

    Rubashkin will make an initial appearance in federal court for the Northern District of Iowa this afternoon.

    U/D 5:30 PM
    According to the Forward Agriprocessors shut down major portions of its slaughter operations at the same time that the company’s former CEO was arrested.

    U/D 5:35 PM

    He was in federal court in Cedar Rapids this afternoon At the hearing, Rubashkin waived his right to a preliminary hearing and also declined to comment.

    He did not enter a plea, but his attorney said Rubashkin would plead not guilty at his arraignment.

    Rubashkin was released, after agreeing to surrender his passport and the passport of his wife, to wear a GPS ankle bracelet, restrict his travel to the northern district of Iowa and execute a $1 million bond, $500,000 of which must be secured by Wednesday.

    Prosecutor are concerned Rubashkin could be a flight risk. Because of his access to substantial assets.


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    192 Comments
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    mark green
    mark green
    15 years ago

    will over come

    Tehillim
    Tehillim
    15 years ago

    Everyone should please say Tehillim for Sholom Mordechai HaLevi ben Rivkah!

    The world is relying on him for Kashrus and Tzedoka. May all the good he has done be a z’chus and protect him from all harm.

    May we hear besuros tovos bikarov mamash and may we see tovah hanirah vihaniglah right now.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    This is an unfortunate development and while he is innocent until proven guilty we always need to be cognizant of our actions.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Something here smells …

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    AS USIAL THE FBI WILL LIE THRU THEIR TEETH WITH NO CONSIQUANCES. BY SHULOM MORDCHE THEY WIL TRY TO FIND SOMETHING EVEN LESS THEN THAT, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CHARGE HIM.
    LIKE THEY DID BY H. WIEDER.
    THIS IS NO MALCHIS SHEL CHESED

    michal
    michal
    15 years ago

    Please, G-d, watch over Sholom Mordechai HaLevi ben Rivkah, and destroy the evildoers who want to hurt him and his family.

    tsvika55
    tsvika55
    15 years ago

    He’ll beat all this IYRH

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    now that he was arrested, can the OU finally pull the hechsher?

    “The world is relying on him for Kashrus and Tzedoka. May all the good he has done be a z’chus and protect him from all harm.”
    ——————————————————————————–
    His tzedaka was money stolen from the workers. His KAshrus was in doubt. This is a true chillul Hashem, en masse. We should learn a lesson from this. No one is immune from Hashem’s wrath.

    moshei
    moshei
    15 years ago

    That’s the results of a Liberal Goverment in Iowa, and liberal congressman of Iowa.
    If another guy would do the same, no arrests would be made.
    Obama, spoke against them is public only because he is a heimishe yid.
    A shame in the united states.
    The entire kosher process is under attack, don be a fool, wake up.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    okay okay, he messed up, but how much tzorus does he need to go through? Hashem Yerachem!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Why are the Feds after him? I’m afraid that the people of Iowa want them out, and have pulled out all stops to get them out of there.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I wish him mazal & hatzlocha.
    Check all mezuzas   Agri & rubashkin homes.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    The family should sell the business and plea bargain with the Feds to stay out of jail. Once the business is sold, they will stop bothering them.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    What about every factory,school,catering hall,deli,grocery that hires illegal mexicans and what about legal aid lawyer groups funded by tax payers money that fights for illegal alians. Obama in an interview 2 months ago lashed out at Rubashkin but yey he has illegal votes of homless,alians and fraud galore.

    berl33
    berl33
    15 years ago

    i just dont understand our government they pay billion of our tax money to illigal aliens when they get sick and this rubashkin case they blow up to gigantic proportions how stupid can anyone be billions for medical care of illigals unbelievable how dummn can nayone get

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I know him personally! Ehr Iz A Tiereh Yid!

    Death to the animal rights activists!

    Oy Gevald
    Oy Gevald
    15 years ago

    While I no longer buy Rubashkins products since KAJ announced they were leaving, I hope this Yid gets out quickly. Indeed, may the Zechusim of the claimed Tzedokkas they do be Maylitz Yosher for him. Time will tell. Let’s hope it’s not “Yotze schoro behefsedo” etc.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    oiy

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    We should all learn a lesson from this not to fool around with the law and to respect it. You can try to justify it from today till tommorrow – with excuses such as “Americans don’t want to work in meat packing plants”. or “Kosher meat prices will go through the roof”. But at the end of the day all the Tzedoka and excuses in the world can not mitigate the Chilul Hashem taking place because of this. I would have gladly not eaten meat or chicken for the last 5 years if it would have helped prevent this Chilul Hashem.

    Enough!!
    Enough!!
    15 years ago

    I know the Rubashkins to be decent people,I don’t know what happened with the plant in Iowa, but it’s time to stop and cut their losses now!
    They need to leave this business, before they bankrupt themselves and totally tarnish frim yidden.Genneeg schoin!
    Hirshel,Monsey

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    There is no justice in America. If the gov’t is out to destroy someone, they can do so with no one to stop them. It is only true criminals who have inalienable rights. We have seen this over and over again. This time it is PETA and the unions who have pushed this over the edge. Hashem yerachem!!

    Dan
    Dan
    15 years ago

    To commentator no. 19: Take out the CAPS and learn how to write.
    Yes, it is a malchus shel chesed. But you have to keep the law.
    When will people stop doing chilul Hashem? Can’t we just follow dina demalchusa?
    Don’t blame animal activists, liberals, or the government.
    Blame yourselves!
    Keep the law and you will NEVER be arrested.

    dovid
    dovid
    15 years ago

    i wish him the best .he doesnt deserve this. this is america ?just wait what happenes if chas vshalom barak hussein obama wins. every yid go out and vote for mccain.especially yidden in florida ohio pennsylivana and all other staes.

    Milhouse
    Milhouse
    15 years ago

    So this is what it comes down to. Some workers came to him for a gemach, and he helped them. That’s what the Rubashkins are like: if you need help they won’t turn you away. Their old papers were shown to be bad, and if they didn’t come up with new papers he would have had to fire them, so he lent them money and they came up with new papers. Now he didn’t have to throw them out on the street. And that’s supposed to be a big avla? Sounds like a mitzvah to me.

    May Hashem help him and curse those who are trying to bring him down.

    howbadcanweget
    howbadcanweget
    15 years ago

    what the hell do you want from these yidden YOUR brother. (like it or not)

    so they screwed around a bit here and there , things that everyone in America is doing. Not that its right but c’mon give me a break, The Kashrus was never in question and thousands of Jewish souls were strengthened by observing Kashrus.

    What do you think all these Jews who now don’t have kosher meat in their grocery stores are eating?? Treif. are you now happy.

    Better now that we have blemished and harmed so many souls at the cheshbon of some workers being taking advantage of (and it is wrong that this was going on but put things in perspective)

    If there were areas that needed change and improvement let us work on that, but were does all this achzorius come from.

    ki loi mibnei yisreol haimo.

    Tachlis
    Tachlis
    15 years ago

    #22 hirshel, just shut up please, it’s none of your business if they should close up or stay open and enough with them tarnishing your name puhleez

    Tachlis
    Tachlis
    15 years ago

    #27 from the way you right your obviously not jewish. do you work for the unions?

    crownheightsers
    crownheightsers
    15 years ago

    Millhouse apparently works for Agri.
    Millhouse, with defenders like you the Rubashkins don’t need enemies.Syag lochochma shtikko.You got to learn not to publicize your ‘narones”

    Menachem
    Menachem
    15 years ago

    I cannot believe that they will arrest someone based on one mans testimony.
    And why isn’t he arrested?!?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    To No. 25: You say you are a former Agri worker and were paid well and wish everyone were paid as well as Agri paid. Can you tell us what type of work – i.e were you on the line butchering slaughetered animals, loading crates, plucking feathers, etc? There have been reports of people who did that dirty, dangerous work earning in the $6/hour range. Is that what you were paid?

    BTW – Everyone should withold a rush to judgment – that includes not just a rush to judgment, but all the hyperbole about this being Senator Obama’s fault or Unions. Also, for all of you trying to tie this in to Obama, remember that the Dept. of Justice, FBI, ICE, US attorney’s office, etc. are all run by republicans and have been for the past 8 years.

    Agenda Driven
    Agenda Driven
    15 years ago

    I don’t understand why people don’t see the clear and obviousness of the agenda behind this situation. If you claim that this is not antisemitism then please answer the following questions. Why is it from all of the tens of raids that took place in the united states (some companies have a few raids in different locations) the only one that got this much media attention was agri? Why is it that Barack Obama mentioned agri twice but NEVER mentioned any other company employing illegal aliens that was raided and charged with child labor allegations? Why is it that the government never publicizes (in such instances) the affidavit but ONLY with agri they did – especially when they knew that many of the things were going to be proven false but would be publicized by the press (ie the pipe bomb mezuzos, the meth lab…)? Why is it that the letter that was written to the Rubashkins was signed specifically by Jewish congressmen? If you can’t see how there is definitely, without a doubt, antisemitism that driving this as far as it has gone then I guess you never will.

    mark green
    mark green
    15 years ago

    to post #33 Shslom Mordchai didn’t ever work in that office Perhaps that office is complete different location

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    it is vey unusuall to see this kind of court procedures go on.

    first the inspectors
    then the arrests ot a few workers all frum
    then the courts with 10,000,000.00 fines
    and then one day later this arrest of shalom
    all from the feds
    something is really very wrong here that we dont know about,
    i would with my total ahavas yisroel and pity on another yid
    have second thoughts when trusting their kashrus, even with a private name on it as the o.u. or whom ever

    moshiach now

    moshe
    moshe
    15 years ago

    Anti-semites? Conspiracies? Any more excuses for this disgusting law-breaker? May he serve a long time in jail as a deterrent to other ganovim like him.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Reply To Cher from #14 . Whether or not he is found innocent in the end, the Chillul Hashem Damage has already been done. We have a responsibility to prevent Chilul Hashem not just avoid criminal behaviour. Even if a judge and jury find him not legally or criminally responsible, and even if he is a nice guy, a Baal Tzedakka and a Baal Chesed, there is still a stench of Chilul Hashem and it reflects badly not just on him and his company but on all of us. We should therefore learn a lesson from this and reinforce in ourselves the obligation to be Mekadesh Shem Shomayim and be doubly vigilant that our business affairs are beyond reproach.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    was there another raid a few month ago in a nother place that also had 300 400 illigals

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Chillul hashem….period. You can justify it all you want, but responsible managers/owners know what is going on in their facility.

    Freedom Fighter
    Freedom Fighter
    15 years ago

    This is beyond a witch hunt.

    If I was an alien coming down from another planet, I would think that the entire financial world crisis, the fraud on Wall street, the war in Iraq was caused by Rubashkin.

    The viciousness, the over-active prosecution, the astronomical out-of-proportion fines would make me believe this man is the number 1 on Americas’ most wanted list.

    But the humble truth is that he is an exceptionally decent man, who treated everyone around him with kindness. That despite his wealth lived in a very humble home, drove plain cars and dressed in plain clothing and gave his money to tzedaka, to yeshivos, to poor brides.

    The government gives free health care to illegals.
    The government gives them free education.
    Rubashkin gave them jobs.

    That’s all. He did what the government does. Only nicer.

    As Americans, this should give us all some pause.

    Make sure you have no enemies. You might be next.

    G-d bless this man. May the plans of those who seek to persecute him so unjustly become null and void.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I am a little familiar with this issue and I cant tell you how much Anti-Semitism is involved. I know people use that term very often these days and it became cheap, however, here it applies.

    Eli
    Eli
    15 years ago

    This is a set up. On December 12, 2006, ICE -Immigration and Customs Enforcement -arrested 1,297 illegal aliens after an executed search at Swift facilities in the following six cities: Marshalltown, Iowa; Grand Island, Neb.; Worthington, Minn.; Greeley, Colo.; Hyrum, Utah; and Cactus, Texas. Subsequently, and only 274 of those arrested were criminally charged with identity theft or using fraudulent documents and with due process. Employees awaiting for adjustment of status were not charged. At Agriprocessor every person detained regardless of status was charged and without due process…please read the following. http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/Camayd-Freixas080724.pdf

    So there is a double standard. President Bush permitted ICE to execute this raid without Congressional approval. The Department of Homeland Security is part of the executive branch. Does the President knows how much this he is affecting the observant Jewish community? Does he knows that this is an attack to our faith and religious practices? Does he knows that this antisemitic? For a President that pledges his support to the great State of Israel, he sure does not get it.

    Stop this non-sense, this is political issue and someone has to pay for it. There are between 12 – 18 million undocumented aliens in this nation and we are hypocrites to accuse one and all the companies harvesting undocumented. The majority of business in the US survive on the labor of this underground force, but it is easier to raid a plan and therefore meet the quotas of ICE to maintain their multimillion dollar budget. I don’t agree with illegal immigration, but this nation has under the present administration halted every attempt to legalized the undocumented labor force. I rather know who is here than to foster a force of nameless, faceless, and paperless workers – who are they? Why and post 9/11 we do not have an account of this workers?

    I understand that the democratic majority is to blame, for they have halted the process and proposals as to capitalize on the Hispanic vote and hijack the immigration agenda as their sole initiative.

    It is time for the Jewish community to realize that this is the beginning of a new era in America. Watch and be alert, lets support Sholom Rubashkin and lets pray for him.

    If this is the way we are treated under this administration, I don’t want to be here when Obama is elected. This raid has seriously affected my religious practices.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    U are all Crazy from # 1 to 51 with a few exceptions, Jews fighting Jews in words!! Just state your opinion!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    please shave off your beard and take off your yarmulka before you go into court. minimize the chilul hashem

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    All this should learn us, RESPECT THE UNION, or !!!!

    Who Gives a Hechsher on Agri, Now?
    Who Gives a Hechsher on Agri, Now?
    15 years ago

    This terrible Chilul Hashem can only get much worse, if the OU refuses to Pull their Hechsher now, just because they are “playing musical chairs”, to swish around who is the official CEO of Agri, “just for the record”.

    If the OU continues the Hechsher now, it will be almost like official Cart Blanch that the OU certifies that it’s Kosher to break American Law and still remain certified Kosher.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    they should have known beter the feds only go after the big fish

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Yudel hasn’t put this on his blog as of yet, I hope he isn’t feeling happy & victorious, I wonder if he knows something he should be ashamed of. Only my thought out loud.
    This is not a happy day, for Klal Yisroel.

    Veggie
    Veggie
    15 years ago

    It is time for the OU to stand down and pull their certification IMMEDIATELY if not sooner! How many lies can people beleive about them? Thing is, they can’t pull it out, because they are money hungry themselves.. This is yet another sad case of jews making public spectacles of themselves under the guise of religion. Shame on the concert ban rabbis for not banning agri & the ou, and shame on people who support them!

    Boruch Hashem
    Boruch Hashem
    15 years ago

    Boruch hashem he is either home or on the way! I hear from the people of postville that the workers all liked Rubashkin, they worked long hours because they wanted to, there were lines of people that wanted to work there. The charges against him numbered so high because they counted each hour that an underaged, 17 year old worked there. The families were mistreated by the government – families torn apart – at first they even arrested both parents from families of small children – the school emptied out – were deported without having a chance to sell their car or other belongings – and others have to sit in jail at least five years. Their wrongdoing for working, not on their own name, did not cause any harm to anyone, on the contrary, they were paying their taxes. Their treatment was not suitable to their crime. Of course there is someone out there to get the Rubashkins – but kinderlech- s’fran an aibershter oif der velt – and everything is for the good – we should be zoiche to see it.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    i hoped this nightmare would go away but I think the nightmare is just starting

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    OK now let him pay for his crime and Chilul Ha_shen that he has cuased!