Itzhak Friedlander, who used several religious charities to help launder nearly $200,000 in what became the largest federal undercover sting in New Jersey history, was sentenced today to two years in prison.
Friedlander, 43, a Hudson County real estate investor and property manager, had agreed to help Solomon Dwek, the failed Monmouth County developer who was secretly working as an informant for the FBI in the massive corruption investigation that ultimately led to the arrests of more than 40 people in July 2009, including five rabbis, three mayors and two state legislators.
In court this morning before U.S. District Judge Jose Linares in Newark, Friedlander expressed his apologies to his friends, family and those in his religious Orthodox community—many of whom filled the fifth-floor courtroom for the proceedings.
Friedlander pleaded guilty last April of conspiring to launder money through two charitable accounts he controlled at a bank in Union City, after he was set up by Dwek, who claimed he needed to hide assets from the trustee in his bankruptcy case, along with profits from a counterfeit handbag business that did not actually exist. According to prosecutors, Friedlander had agreed to funnel $175,000 through his account at Gmach Shefa Chaim, a free-loan charity within the Hasidic community in Union City, with the goal of paying off public officials in exchange for development approvals.
Friedlander was tied to the case through Moshe “Michael” Altman, one of the key figures in the investigation who agreed to help Dwek launder tens of thousands of dollars and introduced him to a Jersey City building inspector who unwittingly became the bridge to a separate political corruption probe that swept through Hudson County. Friedlander worked for Altman as a property manager.
As Friedlander listened intently, his attorney, Stacy Ann Biancamano, urged leniency.
“He is extremely remorseful for his conduct and deeply regrets it,” she said of Friedlander’s shame and embarrassment, and called his role in the conspiracy limited.
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao said without Friedlander’s involvement, there would have been no way to launder the money Dwek had brought to the table.
“He provided the vehicle for the money laundering to take place,” said Chao, noting it was Friedlander’s accounts at Gmach Shefa Chaim and a second charity that was used to convert the funds.
Linares, who received letters and a video from Friedlander’s family and friends in his support, said it was clear that he was a man loved by his community. But the judge added that a substantial amount of money was laundered, sentencing him to 24 months in prison—the minimum level under federal sentencing guidelines.
No comments:
Post a Comment