Queens, NY – A Rabbi who calls himself a leader of the Ger Hasidic sect in NYC has found himself in the cross-hairs of federal investigators, with U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara heading up the probe into the alleged illegal actions of Rabbi Shmuel Aschkenazi, The New York Post reports (http://nyp.st/1ROpLe5).
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The Queens-based rabbi stands accused of attempting to sell a $13 million building, home to the House of Sages of Israel shul located at 25 Bialystoker Place on the Lower East Side, to real estate developer Todd Fine without the knowledge or permission of the congregation. A portion of the sale proceeds – some $3 million – is expected to go to Rabbi Aschkenazi personally. The Ger sect is expected to be the recipient of the remaining $10 million.
Following a civil lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court by the shul’s congregants, the sale was put on hold last Friday. Rabbi Aschkenazi was served by two FBI agents immediately after completing his testimony in the civil suit this past Monday.
The rabbi’s lawyer has verified the U.S. Attorney’s involvement in the matter.
This is a small shteibel in a home where my zaideh, A”H, lived, learned and daven’d and where I daven’d often until adulthood and moving from the area. It is a chillul h’ashem that there was manipulation to pack the board and take the money away from the shteibel for the benefit of this Queens “Rabbi” (by investing in his home/”shul”) and for his moneyed friends.
FBI should be arresting Hillary.
This whole story is a local Fight.
As Rabbi Askanazi owed a nursing home, he made there a Small room for Minyan for the elderly of the Home, HE PAID for a Few locals to come help there with Minyan.
NOW he wants to sell and Move the congregation to his Neighborhood, they Fight him (because he was Stupid to run the Home on the Not for profits Name).
Whom does the shule belong to ?
Something doesn’t add up.
shame shame shame, selling a shul from out of the congregants.
Self-proclaimed. I thought he had a stellar at the Agudath Israel of Kew Garden Hills?
will anyone be locked up?
One of my co defendants was a gerer chasid in my white collar case. A beard and payos means nothing today. You need to learn from a pig. You have to be the same on the inside as the outside.
FBI should be arresting Hillary.