Monsey, NY – Forgery and attempted grand larceny charges were brought against a Ramapo couple yesterday, accusing them of trying to steal a house belonging to a retired school bus driver.
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M. and C… G. were released without bail pending a hearing of the charges Monday by County Court Judge Victor Alfieri.
The indictment, unsealed yesterday before County Court Judge Charles Apotheker, came just two weeks before the five-year statute of limitations could have barred the prosecution.
If convicted of the charges – second-degree attempted grand larceny, forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument -the G… couple could face prison terms ranging between 1 to 3 years, and 2 1/2 to 7 years.
The indictment in part accuses the G…. couple of falsely making and altering a contract.
M…. G….. was led, hands cuffed behind his back, into the New City courtroom at 11:59 a.m. by detectives from the District Attorney’s Office.
He and his noticeably pregnant wife were ordered by Apotheker to relinquish their passports and not leave the state.
They also were ordered to have no contact with Venera Held, who had waged a five-year court battle against the couple to keep the 60 Decatur Ave. house.
Her hopes were repeatedly dashed by state Supreme Court Justice Alfred Weiner’s rulings.
Weiner decided after a nonjury trial that M…… G…. account of Held’s signing a contract in a Monsey bagel shop was more believable than Held’s insistence that she’d been duped.
The charges could grow against M… G…. as the District Attorney’s Office continues to investigate his real estate dealings.
“We have a mortgage and real estate fraud unit,” Executive Assistant District Attorney Gary Lee Heavner said after the court session, “and there is an ongoing investigation of these facts (the indictment) as well as similar cases.”
Daniel Bertolino, an Upper Nyack attorney who defended Held against G…. attempts to evict tenants including one of Held’s daughters from the house, said he had other clients who had real estate dealings with G……
“I absolutely intend to cooperate fully with the District Attorney’s Office on four other matters,” Bertolino said.
During yesterday’s court session, defense attorney Kenneth Gribetz, a former Rockland district attorney, said the indictment was absurd.
“This has been litigated for years and years before Judge Weiner,” Gribetz said of the civil case that began after the July 4, 2003, bagel shop meeting.
“He rendered his decision 100 percent in favor of the G….,” Gribetz said, “and the Appellate Division has upheld his decision.”
Gribetz called the indictment “a slap in the face” to Weiner and the appeals court.
Another fraudulent monsey couple. What is it with these people? Must be the after shocks of the Finkel story.
Seriously, is it the drinking thats making these people act this way or is it the so called best education these kids get and use as adults.
Well, the only problem I see in Der Yid is about girls wearing white jackets.
White jackets? maybe they will qualify to work for rubashkin.
you are totally wrong. der yid has more problems, like girls working in offices and making a decent living, and maybe chas ve’shalom be able to live with out uncle sams support!
The problem is not only in Monsey. I seem to recall a similar story posted on vosizneias that happened in Boro Park.
Sick!
11:47 It’s the after effects of eating treifus and neveilus.
Where is the gathering with rabbis announcing that anyone cought and convicted of any fraudelent crime will be excomunicated from the community they wear kippa peyos bekesha hats and all daven to some god of theirs NOT MINE HE DOESNT ALLOW SUCH CRIME
if there ever was a time for rabbis to speak iout better now or step doewn from your position
Does anybody know why this forgery didn’t come up in the 5 years in civil court? If it did why did the civil case decide one way and a criminal case the opposite? Very complicated.
I can’t believe everyone is jumping to judge this couple. This has dragged through the courts for 8 years, and they were declared correct every time!!!
I did not see the Der Yid article. What could possibly be wrong with white jackets — especially now in the summertime when, all other things being equal (wieght of the fabric, tightness of weave), white reflects the sun’s rays more and is cooler for the wearer than a dark jacket?
If “long live zionisom” (10:04AM) would learn to spell ENGLISH, maybe he could get his message across! I’m sure he has something to say!!!
big wheel you are right about the spelling
hasomeach b’chelko
Till there is not a 100% verdict in favor of either what is there to talk. There is enough Tzoros in our community. Thing of people you knew who are young and are no longer with us, or sick, or in a coma or penniless. The list could go on and on. If you have nothing to do, go help the families if you have not patience to learn, study, pray, help around the house. This is not an issue of how one presents as a Torah abiding Jew. It is being a Mentch and remembering that we are in Golus and Dina D’Dmalchusa Dina, ” The Law of the Land is Law”. A happy and healthy summer.
Remember, don’t talk and drive. Make sure bike riders wear helmets, car riders wear seatbelts and the young ones in carseats. Instead of honking your horn, take a deep breath, relax, say a kappitel tehillim and drive carefully.
This article, which was published in the Journal News (or Urinal News as some prefer to call it), had in depth information that, if I read correctly, shows that the DA’s office had a conflict of interest in pursuing this indictment as he had practiced with the plaintiffs attorney for many years prior to becoming DA. The indictment was handed down after nearly 5 years of civil litigation in which the standard of proof is significantly lower and all decisions were affirmed by the appellate division. Additionally, the indictment was unsealed 2 WEEKS prior to the statute of limitations expiring as the previous DA refused to pursue any criminal charges as it was, and is, a civil matter. Furthermore, the couple was arrested on Friday so as to inconvenience them as much as possible and make certain that the news would be on the front page of the Saturday newspaper which, presumably, Orthodox Jews don’t read.
Separately, as it relates to the merits of the case, the simple fact that a civil decision in the defendants favor exists and was affirmed by the appellate division is likely to create reasonable doubt and an acquittal. In the unlikely event that a conviction is handed down, it would almost certainly be thrown out on appeal. In dhort it is a waste of time and money for the county to pursue this case.
I, for one, am severely disappointed in our new DA, Robert Zugibe. He has been in office for just over 5 months and appears to be headed towards several personal and politically motivated investigations. Many of these investigations target the Orthodox community in particular and others who associate with them (Andy Dale). It is time for him to stop wasting taxpayer dollars and focus on the drug and gun trafficking in other areas of the county. Those are the crimes where,if Zugibe’s preoccupation with petty personal vendettas continues, people will die and others will be afflicted with the cycle of poverty.
Living with patience is right. If we conduct ourselves according to Halacha & Torah Law we can’t go wrong. As he said, there’s so much Tzar amongst Frum Yidden & all we keeping hearing about is Frum criminals.
Don’t give me “innocent until proven guilty”…the reality is that there are more & more greedy lowlifes & sickos floaing to the top “like a dead body” (literary quote there!)& we all get stuck with fallout.
These people give all Frum Yidden a bad name. Do you think it makes us look good to Freier Yidden either???