Philadelphia – NJ Rabbi’s 4-Year Money-Laundering Sentence Affirmed

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    Philadelphia – A U.S. appeals court has upheld the nearly 4-year sentence of a New York rabbi convicted of laundering more than $900,000.

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    Lawyers for Rabbi Mordchai Fish argued on appeal that his crimes weren’t “sophisticated,” and didn’t merit an enhanced sentence last year.

    However, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court in Philadelphia says Tuesday that U.S. District Judge Joel Pisano’s sentence was within his discretion, given the facts.

    Fish is one of five rabbis to plead guilty in a 2009 money-laundering and political-corruption sting that stretched from southern New Jersey to Brooklyn, where he led Congregation Sheves Achim.

    Fish took checks from a government informant, laundered them through a religious charity and kicked back the cash, minus 10 percent. He has said the cash came from diamond and jewelry businesses.


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    17 Comments
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    Bukharian
    Bukharian
    10 years ago

    he bought me a jacket, jewish seforim when i was poor and in need, i know for a fact he gave my friends tefillin who were not able to afford them and he is behind bars today.

    Normal
    Normal
    10 years ago

    #1 perhaps he should have read the jewish seforim he bought you especially the bit about Dina D’Malchusa Dina. Just because he is a nice guy doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get punished when he rips off the government.

    10 years ago

    I followed this case from beginning to end
    Money laundering is the only crime that an attempt is as if done, since it was all FBI checks there was no real money laundering, if you know the law.
    The Judge did not care much that 500 people have food on the table every weekend by Rabbi Fish, dozens of students have their tuition paid monthly by Rabbi Fish, dozens of families that Rabbi Fish married off the parents and years later their children, dozens of drugged teenagers Rabbi Fish saved and much more, they will all suffer. So who did they punish ???
    What’s worse his attempt to money laundering or making all of above suffer.
    A Judge can be book smart and can have intelligent brains with common sense.

    10 years ago

    I see Dweck as a hero. He has uncovered so many crimes that the federal government knew nothing about. Now they are aware and perhaps the criminals will think twice about fraud because they can end up in jail.

    Dweck committed fraud himself on a big scale, but he at least admitted his guilt. The others played dumb or innocent and deserve what happened to them.

    white_socks
    white_socks
    10 years ago

    # 12 should roast in hell together with dreck

    10 years ago

    #12 , and Mr Annonymous,

    Are you so above board? Maybe post your tax return online for all to see. Do you have a cleaning lady that you pay cash? Well that’s FRAUD! So when they catch you for the “yashar” that you live your life we will discuss then! But in the meantime stop judging somebody else so harshly believe me if the IRS checked you out you would probably end up in the same place and then WE would all party and mock your fate!