New York, NY – The daughter of an Israeli politician and former defense minister has been jailed in New York in connection with a prescription drug fraud case in Florida, authorities said Thursday.
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Talya Ben-Eliezer, 39, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday evening after arriving for a flight to Tel Aviv, police and prosecutors said.
An official familiar with the arrest confirmed that she is the daughter of Binyamin Fuad Ben-Eliezer, who is a member of Israel’s legislature, the Knesset. The 75-year-old lawmaker and former military commander previously served as defense minister and deputy prime minister, along with several other senior government posts.
Talya Ben-Eliezer was detained at the airport at around 8:40 p.m. after a routine check performed on all air passengers leaving the country revealed that a warrant had been issued for her arrest in Hillsborough County, whose largest city is Tampa, Fla., last July, according to spokesmen for the airport’s police force and Queens prosecutors.
The charge listed on the warrant was for “obtaining a controlled substance by fraud,” and the case had to do with a prescription drug, purchased at a pharmacy, the district attorney’s office said.
A person who had been briefed on the circumstances of the arrest said that Ben-Eliezer was taking painkillers for a medical condition and had attempted to get twice the number of pills allowed by making a copy of her prescription and taking it to two pharmacies. That person and the official familiar with the arrest spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
Ben-Eliezer was in custody awaiting arraignment Thursday evening and couldn’t be reached for comment. It was unclear whether she had hired a lawyer.
A spokesman for Israel’s consulate in New York, Shahar Azani, said the office has a policy of not commenting on criminal matters involving Israeli citizens.
Sad but the police acted correctly. The fact that she is related to a VIP should not be a factor in a decision to detain her. It happens often, especially in NYC and LA. Even the yinglach of American politicians are frequently picked up at airports on outstanding drug warrants (which are felonies and thus listed in the TSA data base).
Don’t worry the Americans will treat her nicer then the Israeli Mishtara thugs treat the Chareidim
4 and 5 you are 100% correct. It is just lovely to see a vip of Israel daughter flaunting other countries’ laws. She had drugs and did not appear in court. Great great secular knowledge she obtained is Israel.
What a shame for israel….
Please her Father is part of the small elitist faction within the Israeli Government, whom have no problem giving away the G-D given land to the Islamic terrorists, maybe now he will be busy dealing with his daughter’s issues and won’t have time to sell out the Holy Land.
exchange her for the Bocher in Japan
Spitting on a kid is a misdemeanor in any civilized country especially when you are egged on to do it by certain parties who want to make a whole community look bad.
Playing fast and loose with controlled substances laws is a FELONY.
I hope this freha rots in a Tampa jail and ends up being dependent on the Aleph Institute, whose leaders are 1000% opposed to anything her father stands for.