Brooklyn, NY – Henchman For Rabbis In Violent Extort Divorce Case Pleads Guilty

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    FILE - FBI agents remove evidence from the Brooklyn residence of Rabbi Mendel Epstein during an investigation, early Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013, in New York.  (AP)Trenton, NJ – A Brooklyn, NY, man admitted today in Trenton federal court to traveling to New Jersey in order to coerce a Jewish man to give his wife a religious divorce – referred to as a “get” – through threats of violence, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

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    David Hellman, 31, a personal trainer, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to an information charging him with traveling in interstate commerce to commit extortion. His bail conditions include a $500,000 bond and GPS monitoring.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    On Oct. 9, 2013, Hellman and a group of conspirators – including Jay Goldstein, 59, Moshe Goldstein, 31, Avrohom Goldstein, 34, Simcha Bulmash, 30, Ariel Potash, 40, Binyamin Stimler, 38, and Sholom Shuchat, 29 – traveled from New York to a warehouse in Edison, N.J., with the intent of forcing a Jewish man to give his wife a “get,” a divorce document which, according to Jewish Law, must be presented by a husband to his wife to effect their divorce.

    Hellman admitted that when he arrived at the warehouse, the group met with an individual who, unbeknownst to them, was an undercover FBI agent posing as the husband’s brother in law. Hellman admitted that they discussed a plan and prepared to confine, restrain and threaten the victim.

    The group was then arrested by a team of FBI agents and charged by criminal complaint – along with rabbis Mendel Epstein, 68, and Martin Wolmark, 55 – in connection with the scheme. Hellman is the first defendant to plead guilty; the charges against the alleged conspirators remain pending. All of the defendants reside in Brooklyn, except Potash and Wolmark, who live in Monsey, N.Y.

    During his guilty plea proceeding, Hellman also admitted that on Aug. 22, 2011, he and others went to a residence in Brooklyn where they restrained, assaulted and injured a man in an attempt to extort a divorce from him. That conduct will be considered by the court during sentencing, currently scheduled for June 12, 2014.

    Hellman faces a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

    The pending charges and allegations against related defendants are merely allegations, and they are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.


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    19 Comments
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    Insider
    Insider
    10 years ago

    Bad news. He’ll be the first to testify against everyone else involved, arrested and as yet not charged. We’ll probably be hearing admissions from the other defendants, one by one, they each individually cut deals. Ultimately, those at the very top will have to face all their co-defendant’s admissions. 20 years is a very long time. The bright side is that, in that time, they will be able to lear through the Daf Yomi Shas cycle three times.

    joseph
    joseph
    10 years ago

    This is a plea deal. The deck of cards are about to fall. Epstein and Wolmark will now have a co-conspirator testifying against them.

    10 years ago

    When this news first broke, most VIN readers claimed it was a frame up by the police and everyone knew this family and how nice they were and it didn’t happen. I hope everyone realizes now that we have many crooks and bad people among us Frum and we need to police our own people so as not to cause more chillul hashem.

    ActualJew
    ActualJew
    10 years ago

    Chillul HaShem de luxe

    Dr_Bert_Miller
    Dr_Bert_Miller
    10 years ago

    I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the judge has an obviously Jewish name and the prosecutor has an obvioulsly Jewish name.

    Davethemave
    Davethemave
    10 years ago

    20 years. Rubashkin gets 27 fit a victimless crime.

    10 years ago

    Wolmark has nothing to worry about. The judge has the same name as his shver Zev Wolfson

    Lebowski
    Lebowski
    10 years ago

    reply to #3,10.like you never broke a law.they were trying to help fellow jews.they happened to violate an federal law because they crossed state lines.otherwise it would be a simple attempted assault ,local charge.stop being so holier then though.you wouldnt want people cheering for your relative if they ran afoul of the law

    Benny
    Benny
    10 years ago

    To all of you “great commentators”

    Next time your doughter gets married and her husband will leave her without get, I want to see what songs you will be singing.

    naisgal
    naisgal
    10 years ago

    His daughter is a divorce attorney, and his beis din was referring cases to her. I know someone who was pleased with the help she got, but I also know someone who did not like the attitude she was shown so did not use them, and was she a lucky one? Do not know. Lots of corruption everywhere.