Rockland County, NY – A three year long federal corruption probe is expected to create a major shakeup in Rockland County next week, with up to 50 people, the majority of whom are elected officials, reportedly facing federal indictments.
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Several high ranking sources told News 12 (http://goo.gl/mpDu7f) that the FBI investigation focuses on the funding of Provident Bank Park, a Ramapo stadium that is home to a Can-Am league baseball team. In addition to elected officials, the indictments are also expected to name several Chasidic businessmen with Israeli passports who illegally channeled money both to the stadium and to private yeshivas.
Federal agents raided the Ramapo Town hall in May 2013, spending more than six hours seizing boxes of documents as well as data files, as previously reported on VIN News (http://goo.gl/RPvQQe). At the time, FBI agents refused to divulge what records they were looking for, noting only that the search warrant was under seal and not a matter of public record. Speculation has lingered since that time that the search was related to the construction of Provident Bank Park, a project that was overwhlemingly rejected by voters but was approved by town officials, with questionable financing put in place that may leave taxpayers footing a hefty $60 million bill.
It is unknown if Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence who maintains close ties with the Chasidic community will be named in the indictment. St. Lawrence was unavailable for comment this afternoon.
The death of a Suffern man ten days ago may well be related to the corruption probe. Sources said that 60 year old Thomas Vanderbeek, the county’s former director of transportation, was aware that he was under investigation by the FBI, prompting him to take his own life.
Mostly frum are on the list. The FBI has tapes, videos and thousands of documents. What a shanda for us. Why can’t we just be honest and follow laws? Is it worth sitting in jail and not seeing our Kinder grow up?
Is there any news here? A raid 3 years ago that never amounted to anything may end up being something at an unspecified time in the future? We may continue hearing about this story forever….
Tell the FBI to indict Hillary.
Lets just remember, INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY!!
Dont jump to conclusions just because someone was on the list.
I guess the ‘chassidshe businessmen’ missed the ethics classes in cheder. And we wonder why they hate us in Rockland and in Orange…
Many people will come out and make the statement ” They are anti-semites, and only targeting them because they are Jews”. This could not be further from the truth. There has been ongoing corruption for years in Rockland. Their actions have caused them to be investigated. The daily chillul Hashem that stems from their total disregard to laws is embarrassing. All comes down to money and votes. They will clean up the corruption and hopefully start a new chapter with honest politicians and honest residents.
If they are indicted, tried and found guilty by a jury of their peers, let them be put in jail.
Many in the klal will now have to get jobs and work. The corruption is so deep and so wide it stems from the top to bottom in every aspect of government.
A word to the wise keep on the straight and narrow a “UnShmear” will end up getting you more then a year!
This has little to do with Orthodox Jews. It is fraud in building a sports park.
This may just be mostly hot air, which channel 2 seemed so eager to report. Did you seem the smile on this reporters face?
So it took 3 years to do a witch hunt and find 50 people with “crimes”. (come into my or your office, take all my stuff and pour over them, I bet we’ll all join these 50) Now some DA will feel good advancing their carrier, and 50 families and mostly good people who worked all their lives, will be destroyed. They did just this under the NKVD in USSR, and sent millions up north to enjoy the gulags…
PS: the vast majority of the 50 are not Jewish and had nothing with any “Hassidim”. This is a nasty witch hunt, and whoever thinks otherwise, let them for one minute imagine them being on this list. (and YOU are NOT perfect or fool proof. no one walks around with a lawyer. Whatever happened to common sense. This would not happen in Europe. only in the great American “Justice system”..
Why is the response to any accusation of wrongdoing “Love me love my dog.” Some indeed do bad things.
Lets hope that innocent people or people with minor infractions don’t get swept up… We all know that St Lawrence is corrupt. I was wondering why it took the feds 2 years. I guess they were working on the others. I doubt that the actual number is in the 50 range.
Whoever does not teach his son a trade, teaches him to be a thief. Yidden, get a profession and support your families honorably!
What’s most sickening here is the willingness of fellow Jews to believe everything against their brethren and even to take glee in it, like hashomer obviously does. Hashem doesn’t look favorably on this behavior, you can be sure.
I have sat in federal prison. There is three sides to the story, the government, the defendant and the absolute truth. Dont judge someone until you are in their shoes.
Don’t believe all the stories of hate and anti-semitism. Most people from all corners of Ramapo are here to work and raise families and enjoy the area. Hopefully this will be an opportunity to actually work together with respect to find the balance that most people want. For ever person indicted there are probably 10 more that are problematic but the FBI can’t firm things up the way they want. Every day is an opportunity to redirect toward a better path. Let’s hope this is a good start.