Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Baltimore, MD - Government Witness, Dwek Faces Bail Hearing
Solomon Dwek
NEWARK, N.J. - The government's main informant in New
Jersey's largest corruption sting is due in federal court Tuesday.
Solomon Dwek will learn whether he'll remain free on bail after
he was arrested on theft charges earlier this month in Baltimore.
Dwek is accused of failing to return a rental car.
The son of a prominent rabbi from Deal, N.J., became a
cooperating government witness after he was arrested in a $50
million bank fraud in 2006.
Dwek first targeted members of the Orthodox Jewish community by
posing as a failed businessman who needed to launder money.
He then posed as a corrupt real estate developer who offered
cash to several New Jersey elected and appointed officials.
The probe led to the arrest of 46 defendants on corruption and
money laundering charges.
NEWARK, N.J. - The government's main informant in New
Jersey's largest corruption sting is due in federal court Tuesday.
Solomon Dwek will learn whether he'll remain free on bail after
he was arrested on theft charges earlier this month in Baltimore.
Dwek is accused of failing to return a rental car.
The son of a prominent rabbi from Deal, N.J., became a
cooperating government witness after he was arrested in a $50
million bank fraud in 2006.
Dwek first targeted members of the Orthodox Jewish community by
posing as a failed businessman who needed to launder money.
He then posed as a corrupt real estate developer who offered
cash to several New Jersey elected and appointed officials.
The probe led to the arrest of 46 defendants on corruption and
money laundering charges.
Billionaire Mashkevich quits Euro-Asian Jewish Congress presidency
Alexander Mashkevich
Israeli-Kazakh billionaire Alexander Mashkevich has resigned as president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, a spokesman confirmed to JTA.
Mashkevich, whose fortune is tied to his stock in the Eurasian Natural Resources Corp., stepped down because of "the need to focus on his business questions," spokesman Roman Spektor said.
"EAJC continues to work normally," he added.
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress is a subsidiary of the World Jewish Congress. Mashkevich had been the group's head for 10 years.
The billionaire occasionally has drawn scrutiny for his outsized public statements and lavish expenditures. Last October, Mashkevich was said to be detained on a Turkish sex yacht, though he denied being arrested in the breakup of an alleged prostitution ring aboard the boat.
Spektor said the incident in Turkey is unrelated to Mashkevich's resignation.
In April, he announced his intention to found a "Jewish Al Jazeera" during an address at the Keren Hayasod-United Israel Appeal conference in Washington, D.C. Some news reports have suggested that Mashkevich's decision to resign is tied to his desire to focus his efforts on that endeavor.
A new president will be elected in September, Spektor said, following procedures in the EAJC's by-laws.
Israeli-Kazakh billionaire Alexander Mashkevich has resigned as president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, a spokesman confirmed to JTA.
Mashkevich, whose fortune is tied to his stock in the Eurasian Natural Resources Corp., stepped down because of "the need to focus on his business questions," spokesman Roman Spektor said.
"EAJC continues to work normally," he added.
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress is a subsidiary of the World Jewish Congress. Mashkevich had been the group's head for 10 years.
The billionaire occasionally has drawn scrutiny for his outsized public statements and lavish expenditures. Last October, Mashkevich was said to be detained on a Turkish sex yacht, though he denied being arrested in the breakup of an alleged prostitution ring aboard the boat.
Spektor said the incident in Turkey is unrelated to Mashkevich's resignation.
In April, he announced his intention to found a "Jewish Al Jazeera" during an address at the Keren Hayasod-United Israel Appeal conference in Washington, D.C. Some news reports have suggested that Mashkevich's decision to resign is tied to his desire to focus his efforts on that endeavor.
A new president will be elected in September, Spektor said, following procedures in the EAJC's by-laws.
Feds Find Cocaine in Sneakers at JFK Airport
Customs and Border Protection agents at JFK Airport found cocaine hidden in sneakers that were inside abandoned luggage
Customs agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport found five pounds of cocaine hidden inside a piece of luggage that was apparently abandoned, officials said.
The bag had arrived on June 23 on a flight from the Dominican Republic and contained four pairs of sneakers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers pulled apart the sneakers because they seemed unusually heavy, according to CBP. Inside the soles of the sneakers, they found a white powdery substance, which field-tested positive for cocaine.
The feds estimate the drugs have a street value of more than $100,000.
Customs agents at John F. Kennedy International Airport found five pounds of cocaine hidden inside a piece of luggage that was apparently abandoned, officials said.
The bag had arrived on June 23 on a flight from the Dominican Republic and contained four pairs of sneakers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers pulled apart the sneakers because they seemed unusually heavy, according to CBP. Inside the soles of the sneakers, they found a white powdery substance, which field-tested positive for cocaine.
The feds estimate the drugs have a street value of more than $100,000.
$19M bank 'robbery'
Ex-Citigroup exec Gary Foster
Former exec looted Citi funds, feds say
He robbed Citigroup blind, the feds say.
A former executive with the banking giant embezzled $19 million over 18 months, and used the loot to buy high-end real estate and luxury cars, authorities and sources said yesterday.
Gary Foster, 35, also allegedly splurged on a chauffeur for his Maserati GranTurismo and BMW 550i because he is legally blind -- and had a Ferrari on order when the FBI busted him Sunday as he was getting off a flight from Bangkok at Kennedy Airport, sources said.
"The defendant allegedly used his knowledge of bank operations to commit the ultimate inside job," said Brooklyn US Attorney Loretta Lynch, announcing bank-fraud charges against Foster, a 12-year Citigroup vet who abruptly quit in January.
Foster earned $100,000 annually as an assistant vice president in the Long Island City, Queens, offices of the bank's treasury finance department, which manages some of the institution's own investments.
But authorities alleged that beginning in May 2009, and continuing until last December, Foster wired $19.2 million from internal Citi accounts into his personal Chase bank account.
He allegedly covered up the scam by assigning phony contract or deal numbers to make the transfers appear legit, and had himself assigned as contact person if there were problems, a criminal complaint charges.
Foster allegedly dropped $12 million of the embezzled money on properties in Midtown and New Jersey, bought a Garden State house for his parents and paid off a mortgage for his ex-wife.
In December, a month before quitting, Foster dropped $3 million on a 10,000-square-foot, six-bedroom mansion in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and $1.93 million on a Rockefeller Center apartment right across West 48th Street from a Citi branch.
Foster -- a Rutgers University grad whose LinkedIn page lists him as hedge-fund consultant -- also bought two condos worth a combined $2.5 million in a Jersey City glass-tower high-rise overlooking the Hudson River.
"I walked into the unit and was like, 'Wow. This is a really great view,' " Foster told The Bergen Record last year in an article that was accompanied by a photo of him in the 33rd-floor unit, sitting in a chair on a gaudy zebra-striped carpet.
One of Foster's homes has ceilings painted in gold leaf, while another's bathroom mirrors turn into TV screens when a button is pressed, a source said.
Foster "loved to hang out in spas, getting facials and massages" -- and stocked multiple bank accounts with loads of looted cash, the source said.
Another source said that Foster, who has two children, became a regular in the Manhattan nightclub scene. He would show up to hot spots like Greenhouse and NYC wearing eye-catching watches and dropping as much as $2,000 on bottle service.
His ex-wife, Joan Foster, told The Post that she never benefited from his allegedly ill-gotten gains.
"All I can say is he didn't show any signs of this activity when we were together," she said.
A Citi spokeswoman said, "We are outraged by the actions of this former employee. Citi informed law enforcement immediately upon discovery of the suspicious transactions, and we are cooperating fully to ensure Mr. Foster is prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
Foster, who is facing up to 30 years in prison if convicted, pleaded not guilty yesterday at Brooklyn federal court and was released on $800,000 bond secured by his parents' home and other properties.
Former exec looted Citi funds, feds say
He robbed Citigroup blind, the feds say.
A former executive with the banking giant embezzled $19 million over 18 months, and used the loot to buy high-end real estate and luxury cars, authorities and sources said yesterday.
Gary Foster, 35, also allegedly splurged on a chauffeur for his Maserati GranTurismo and BMW 550i because he is legally blind -- and had a Ferrari on order when the FBI busted him Sunday as he was getting off a flight from Bangkok at Kennedy Airport, sources said.
"The defendant allegedly used his knowledge of bank operations to commit the ultimate inside job," said Brooklyn US Attorney Loretta Lynch, announcing bank-fraud charges against Foster, a 12-year Citigroup vet who abruptly quit in January.
Foster earned $100,000 annually as an assistant vice president in the Long Island City, Queens, offices of the bank's treasury finance department, which manages some of the institution's own investments.
But authorities alleged that beginning in May 2009, and continuing until last December, Foster wired $19.2 million from internal Citi accounts into his personal Chase bank account.
He allegedly covered up the scam by assigning phony contract or deal numbers to make the transfers appear legit, and had himself assigned as contact person if there were problems, a criminal complaint charges.
Foster allegedly dropped $12 million of the embezzled money on properties in Midtown and New Jersey, bought a Garden State house for his parents and paid off a mortgage for his ex-wife.
In December, a month before quitting, Foster dropped $3 million on a 10,000-square-foot, six-bedroom mansion in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and $1.93 million on a Rockefeller Center apartment right across West 48th Street from a Citi branch.
Foster -- a Rutgers University grad whose LinkedIn page lists him as hedge-fund consultant -- also bought two condos worth a combined $2.5 million in a Jersey City glass-tower high-rise overlooking the Hudson River.
"I walked into the unit and was like, 'Wow. This is a really great view,' " Foster told The Bergen Record last year in an article that was accompanied by a photo of him in the 33rd-floor unit, sitting in a chair on a gaudy zebra-striped carpet.
One of Foster's homes has ceilings painted in gold leaf, while another's bathroom mirrors turn into TV screens when a button is pressed, a source said.
Foster "loved to hang out in spas, getting facials and massages" -- and stocked multiple bank accounts with loads of looted cash, the source said.
Another source said that Foster, who has two children, became a regular in the Manhattan nightclub scene. He would show up to hot spots like Greenhouse and NYC wearing eye-catching watches and dropping as much as $2,000 on bottle service.
His ex-wife, Joan Foster, told The Post that she never benefited from his allegedly ill-gotten gains.
"All I can say is he didn't show any signs of this activity when we were together," she said.
A Citi spokeswoman said, "We are outraged by the actions of this former employee. Citi informed law enforcement immediately upon discovery of the suspicious transactions, and we are cooperating fully to ensure Mr. Foster is prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
Foster, who is facing up to 30 years in prison if convicted, pleaded not guilty yesterday at Brooklyn federal court and was released on $800,000 bond secured by his parents' home and other properties.
Court rejects Arazim debt accord at taxman's behest
Meir Gurvitz
Tel Aviv District Court Judge Eytan Orenstein gave the parties - Arazim's management, representatives of minority shareholders and the Tax Authority - 21 days to work out a new arrangement.
The court rejected Arazim's creditors arrangement yesterday, siding with Tax Authority claims that the taxman was being given a back seat to bondholders.
On Thursday, Tel Aviv District Court Judge Eytan Orenstein gave the parties - Arazim's management, representatives of minority shareholders and the Tax Authority - 21 days to work out a new arrangement.
The real estate company, controlled by Meir Gurvitz, had been trading at a market capitalization of NIS 1.1 billion in the summer of 2007, but the global real estate collapse hurt it badly. The company found itself unable to repay its debts, which totaled hundreds of millions of dollars.
Its market cap is currently NIS 37 million, and as of the end of September 2010, it was running a shareholders equity deficit of NIS 122 million. It has a going concern warning in its books and is rated D for default by S&P Maalot. Its bonds are trading deep in junk territory, with yields of 30% to 42%.
In 2010 Arazim had been supposed to pay NIS 60 million to holders of its short-term bonds. It was blocked from doing so following objections by holders of long-term debentures (B4 ), to whom it owes NIS 230 million. The company tried to reach an arrangement that would let it defer repayment in exchange for compensating bondholders, namely by giving them a lien on a six-building complex in Britain that was leased out to a food manufacturer. It was the only remaining Arazim property that hadn't been attached to creditors.
Arazim owes its creditors NIS 378 million.
Under the creditors' arrangement, Gurvitz was supposed to forgo NIS 15 million in pay and receive stock options convertible into Arazim shares. The company proposed paying NIS 250 million to bondholders (who were owed NIS 360 million in total ) and the Tax Authority within three months. The company left it up to the Tax Authority and the bondholders to split that sum.
Some of that money, NIS 140 million, was to come from a foreign bank that would receive liens to Arazim assets. The company also intended to tap its cash resources, which totaled NIS 127 million at the end of March.
But the Tax Authority claims that it is owed NIS 55.5 million and that other creditors are receiving priority treatment - namely, bondholders are getting liens on properties.
Minority shareholders owning 12% of Arazim's stock also objected, claiming the arrangement is an attempt to rob them while prioritizing shares owned by the controlling shareholder.
On Thursday the court accepted the Tax Authority's position. Orenstein ruled that the company can't prioritize the bondholders over the Tax Authority. As for the minority shareholders, he ruled that the company was entitled to prioritize other creditors since they were not being asked to forgo any money.
Tel Aviv District Court Judge Eytan Orenstein gave the parties - Arazim's management, representatives of minority shareholders and the Tax Authority - 21 days to work out a new arrangement.
The court rejected Arazim's creditors arrangement yesterday, siding with Tax Authority claims that the taxman was being given a back seat to bondholders.
On Thursday, Tel Aviv District Court Judge Eytan Orenstein gave the parties - Arazim's management, representatives of minority shareholders and the Tax Authority - 21 days to work out a new arrangement.
The real estate company, controlled by Meir Gurvitz, had been trading at a market capitalization of NIS 1.1 billion in the summer of 2007, but the global real estate collapse hurt it badly. The company found itself unable to repay its debts, which totaled hundreds of millions of dollars.
Its market cap is currently NIS 37 million, and as of the end of September 2010, it was running a shareholders equity deficit of NIS 122 million. It has a going concern warning in its books and is rated D for default by S&P Maalot. Its bonds are trading deep in junk territory, with yields of 30% to 42%.
In 2010 Arazim had been supposed to pay NIS 60 million to holders of its short-term bonds. It was blocked from doing so following objections by holders of long-term debentures (B4 ), to whom it owes NIS 230 million. The company tried to reach an arrangement that would let it defer repayment in exchange for compensating bondholders, namely by giving them a lien on a six-building complex in Britain that was leased out to a food manufacturer. It was the only remaining Arazim property that hadn't been attached to creditors.
Arazim owes its creditors NIS 378 million.
Under the creditors' arrangement, Gurvitz was supposed to forgo NIS 15 million in pay and receive stock options convertible into Arazim shares. The company proposed paying NIS 250 million to bondholders (who were owed NIS 360 million in total ) and the Tax Authority within three months. The company left it up to the Tax Authority and the bondholders to split that sum.
Some of that money, NIS 140 million, was to come from a foreign bank that would receive liens to Arazim assets. The company also intended to tap its cash resources, which totaled NIS 127 million at the end of March.
But the Tax Authority claims that it is owed NIS 55.5 million and that other creditors are receiving priority treatment - namely, bondholders are getting liens on properties.
Minority shareholders owning 12% of Arazim's stock also objected, claiming the arrangement is an attempt to rob them while prioritizing shares owned by the controlling shareholder.
On Thursday the court accepted the Tax Authority's position. Orenstein ruled that the company can't prioritize the bondholders over the Tax Authority. As for the minority shareholders, he ruled that the company was entitled to prioritize other creditors since they were not being asked to forgo any money.
Major Chilul Hashem: Brooklyn Jew (Hasid) charged with felony hate crime after attacking 'f---ing Arabs' living next door
The front of a townhome where a Hasid man allegedly instigated a hate attack on his neighbor, a Turkish woman
A boozy Brooklyn man was hit with hate crime charges Sunday for pouring beer on a newlywed neighbor, calling her an "Arab terrorist" and pummeling her husband, police sources said.
Following the seemingly unprovoked attack Saturday night in Mill Basin, Simchon Schwartz, 46, hid in a local synagogue and tried to fight off cops when they came to arrest him, sources said.
The Hasid even kicked out a window of a police cruiser as he sat inside, whining that "the cuffs are too tight," a source said.
"F---ing Arabs! F---ing terrorists!" Schwartz screamed when he grabbed his neighbor, Selda Turan, 27. He shoved the woman against her car and poured beer on her head, a police source said.
Turan's husband of 13 months, Mustafa Turan, rushed out of their house to protect his wife, but Schwartz punched him in the face, the source said.
Neighbors said the Turans moved into the heavily Jewish neighborhood about a month ago. They said the victims were from Turkey; it wasn't clear if they were Muslim.
Schwartz was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court on charges of felony assault and felony criminal mischief, both as hate crimes. He was also charged with resisting arrest, obstructing cops, menacing and harassment. He could get up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
"They arrested the wrong person," Schwartz's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, said Monday night.
He said his client was attacked by Mustafa Turan, 32, after Selda Turan complained about Schwartz's children being noisy. He said Mustafa Turan called Schwartz a "dirty Jew" and hit him.
Cops said they found no physical evidence supporting Schwartz's counterclaim, while Mustafa Turan needed three stitches to close a gash on his nose. The ordeal erupted at 7 p.m. Saturday when Schwartz began harassing Selda Turan on their E. 70th St. block, a criminal complaint charges. Schwartz opened a can of beer and poured it on Selda Turan, grabbed her by the the arm, pushed her into the side of her car and called her an "Arab terrorist," the complaint said.
Selda Turan was left with scratches and bruises. Schwartz was released without bail.
A judge rejected a prosecution request to hold Schwartz on $60,000 bail, but granted the Turans an order of protection barring him from contacting them.
The Turkish couple live in a townhouse that shares a common wall with Schwartz's home.
Cops said that following the fisticuffs, Schwartz scratched the Turans' car with a key.
Once Schwartz, a car dealer, bolted from the scene, the Turans called 911. Schwartz's son led cops to a Chabad House on nearby E. 69th St., where they found the suspect. Cops smelled alcohol on his breath, a source said.
Schwartz struggled with cops as they dragged him out of the synagogue in handcuffs. They drove him to his house, where his neighbors identified him as the culprit. As Schwartz threw a tantrum in the police car, his wife made a veiled threat to the victims, sources said.
"This is a majority Jewish neighborhood. We're going to get you back," Esther Schwartz told the Turans, the sources said.
While Schwartz was in jail over the weekend, his wife circulated a petition demanding the Turans' landlord evict them, neighbors said. About 20 neighbors signed it, but the Turans' landlords, Rusden and Saadet Dolan, refused.
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Mayhem erupted outside a multi-family Brooklyn home over the weekend leaving this diverse block stunned. It all started with a dispute over noise and ended with an Israeli man charged with hate crimes against his Turkish neighbor, police say.
Police sources say Israeli businessman Simchon Schwartz, 46, confronted his 26-year-old Turkish neighbor, Selda Turan, calling her an Arab terrorist while pouring beer on her. Cops say when her husband, Mustafa Turan, tried to rescue her, Schwartz punched him in the nose.
Schwatrz is Jewish, but it is not clear if the Turans are Muslim.
While Schwartz was cuffed in the squad car, he was screaming and kicked out the window, police say.
Schwartz's daughter, Mazo, and her Albanian Muslim boyfriend told Fox 5 that Schwartz does not hate anyone and that cops have it all wrong.
Sources close to the case said Schwartz bragged that cops grabbed him because he beat his neighbor up worse, but police weren't impressed with his punching prowess. Cops arrested him for hate crime assault and other charges. He is free without bail.
His Turkish neighbors were granted an order of protection.
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A drunken Hasidic Jewish man who assaulted his Turkish neighbour - pouring beer on her and calling her a 'terrorist' - hid in a synagogue and tried to fight policemen when they came to arrest him, sources said.
Simchon Schwartz, 46, is said to have kicked out a window of a police patrol car as he sat inside, complaining his handcuffs were 'too tight'.
According to police sources, Schwartz screamed [expletive] Arabs! [expletive] terrorists!', when he grabbed neighbor, Selda Turan, 27.
He then shoved the 32-year-old woman against her car, opened a can of beer and poured it on her head.
When her husband rushed out of the house to protect his wife he was punched in the face by Schwartz.
Schwartz's fled to the synagogue on nearby E. 69th St., while the Turan's called the police.
When they arrived Schartz's son led them to his father's hiding place.
Cops smelled alcohol on his breath, a source said.
He was driven back to his house, where the Turan's neighbours identified him as the culprit.
Sources have reported that Schwartz's wife made a veiled threat to the victims, sources said.
'This is a majority Jewish neighborhood. We're going to get you back,' Esther Schwartz told the Turans, the sources said.
Neighbours in the predominantley Jewish neighborhood say the Turans, who are from Turkey, moved into the area about a month ago.
it isn't clear if they are Muslim.
Car dealer Schwartz is facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
He appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court where he was arraigned on charges of felony assault and felony criminal mischief, both as hate crimes.
He was also charged with resisting arrest, obstructing cops, menacing and harassment.
His attorney Lance Lazzaro said: 'They arrested the wrong person.'
Lazzaro claims Schwartz was attacked by Mrs Turnan's husband Mustafa Turan, 32, after she had complained about Schwartz's children.
He said Mr Turan called Schwartz a 'dirty Jew' before hitting him.
But police say they found no physical evidence supporting Schwartz's accusations while Mustafa Turan had suffered facial injuries.
Brooklyn Man Charged with Hate Crime Against Neighbor: MyFoxNY.com
A boozy Brooklyn man was hit with hate crime charges Sunday for pouring beer on a newlywed neighbor, calling her an "Arab terrorist" and pummeling her husband, police sources said.
Following the seemingly unprovoked attack Saturday night in Mill Basin, Simchon Schwartz, 46, hid in a local synagogue and tried to fight off cops when they came to arrest him, sources said.
The Hasid even kicked out a window of a police cruiser as he sat inside, whining that "the cuffs are too tight," a source said.
"F---ing Arabs! F---ing terrorists!" Schwartz screamed when he grabbed his neighbor, Selda Turan, 27. He shoved the woman against her car and poured beer on her head, a police source said.
Turan's husband of 13 months, Mustafa Turan, rushed out of their house to protect his wife, but Schwartz punched him in the face, the source said.
Neighbors said the Turans moved into the heavily Jewish neighborhood about a month ago. They said the victims were from Turkey; it wasn't clear if they were Muslim.
Schwartz was arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court on charges of felony assault and felony criminal mischief, both as hate crimes. He was also charged with resisting arrest, obstructing cops, menacing and harassment. He could get up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
"They arrested the wrong person," Schwartz's attorney, Lance Lazzaro, said Monday night.
He said his client was attacked by Mustafa Turan, 32, after Selda Turan complained about Schwartz's children being noisy. He said Mustafa Turan called Schwartz a "dirty Jew" and hit him.
Cops said they found no physical evidence supporting Schwartz's counterclaim, while Mustafa Turan needed three stitches to close a gash on his nose. The ordeal erupted at 7 p.m. Saturday when Schwartz began harassing Selda Turan on their E. 70th St. block, a criminal complaint charges. Schwartz opened a can of beer and poured it on Selda Turan, grabbed her by the the arm, pushed her into the side of her car and called her an "Arab terrorist," the complaint said.
Selda Turan was left with scratches and bruises. Schwartz was released without bail.
A judge rejected a prosecution request to hold Schwartz on $60,000 bail, but granted the Turans an order of protection barring him from contacting them.
The Turkish couple live in a townhouse that shares a common wall with Schwartz's home.
Cops said that following the fisticuffs, Schwartz scratched the Turans' car with a key.
Once Schwartz, a car dealer, bolted from the scene, the Turans called 911. Schwartz's son led cops to a Chabad House on nearby E. 69th St., where they found the suspect. Cops smelled alcohol on his breath, a source said.
Schwartz struggled with cops as they dragged him out of the synagogue in handcuffs. They drove him to his house, where his neighbors identified him as the culprit. As Schwartz threw a tantrum in the police car, his wife made a veiled threat to the victims, sources said.
"This is a majority Jewish neighborhood. We're going to get you back," Esther Schwartz told the Turans, the sources said.
While Schwartz was in jail over the weekend, his wife circulated a petition demanding the Turans' landlord evict them, neighbors said. About 20 neighbors signed it, but the Turans' landlords, Rusden and Saadet Dolan, refused.
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Mayhem erupted outside a multi-family Brooklyn home over the weekend leaving this diverse block stunned. It all started with a dispute over noise and ended with an Israeli man charged with hate crimes against his Turkish neighbor, police say.
Police sources say Israeli businessman Simchon Schwartz, 46, confronted his 26-year-old Turkish neighbor, Selda Turan, calling her an Arab terrorist while pouring beer on her. Cops say when her husband, Mustafa Turan, tried to rescue her, Schwartz punched him in the nose.
Schwatrz is Jewish, but it is not clear if the Turans are Muslim.
While Schwartz was cuffed in the squad car, he was screaming and kicked out the window, police say.
Schwartz's daughter, Mazo, and her Albanian Muslim boyfriend told Fox 5 that Schwartz does not hate anyone and that cops have it all wrong.
Sources close to the case said Schwartz bragged that cops grabbed him because he beat his neighbor up worse, but police weren't impressed with his punching prowess. Cops arrested him for hate crime assault and other charges. He is free without bail.
His Turkish neighbors were granted an order of protection.
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A drunken Hasidic Jewish man who assaulted his Turkish neighbour - pouring beer on her and calling her a 'terrorist' - hid in a synagogue and tried to fight policemen when they came to arrest him, sources said.
Simchon Schwartz, 46, is said to have kicked out a window of a police patrol car as he sat inside, complaining his handcuffs were 'too tight'.
According to police sources, Schwartz screamed [expletive] Arabs! [expletive] terrorists!', when he grabbed neighbor, Selda Turan, 27.
He then shoved the 32-year-old woman against her car, opened a can of beer and poured it on her head.
When her husband rushed out of the house to protect his wife he was punched in the face by Schwartz.
Schwartz's fled to the synagogue on nearby E. 69th St., while the Turan's called the police.
When they arrived Schartz's son led them to his father's hiding place.
Cops smelled alcohol on his breath, a source said.
He was driven back to his house, where the Turan's neighbours identified him as the culprit.
Sources have reported that Schwartz's wife made a veiled threat to the victims, sources said.
'This is a majority Jewish neighborhood. We're going to get you back,' Esther Schwartz told the Turans, the sources said.
Neighbours in the predominantley Jewish neighborhood say the Turans, who are from Turkey, moved into the area about a month ago.
it isn't clear if they are Muslim.
Car dealer Schwartz is facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
He appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court where he was arraigned on charges of felony assault and felony criminal mischief, both as hate crimes.
He was also charged with resisting arrest, obstructing cops, menacing and harassment.
His attorney Lance Lazzaro said: 'They arrested the wrong person.'
Lazzaro claims Schwartz was attacked by Mrs Turnan's husband Mustafa Turan, 32, after she had complained about Schwartz's children.
He said Mr Turan called Schwartz a 'dirty Jew' before hitting him.
But police say they found no physical evidence supporting Schwartz's accusations while Mustafa Turan had suffered facial injuries.
Monday, June 27, 2011
NY - Skverer Rebbe: Lawsuit In Arson Attack Has No Merit
Skverer Rebbe
White Plains, NY - The chief rabbi in a Hasidic village north of New York City says a recent lawsuit filed against him is without merit.
A resident of New Square who was badly burned in May had alleged Grand Rebbe David Twersky directed the attack. Plaintiff Aron Rottenberg claimed Twersky targeted him because he had begun praying at a synagogue other than the principal one in the insular village of 7,000 residents.
On Monday, Twersky’s attorney Franklyn Snitow issued a statement saying the lawsuit has no legal or factual basis. The attorney says Twersky condemns violence.
Eighteen-year-old village resident Shaul Spitzer has been indicted on charges of attempted murder, attempted arson and assault in the attack. He has pleaded not guilty.
Spitzer’s lawyer says Twersky wasn’t involved in the attack on Rottenberg.
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NEW SQUARE — The newly hired lawyer for Grand Rebbe David Twersky said Monday that a civil lawsuit brought against his client by burn victim Aron Rottenberg is baseless.
The rabbi has actively campaigned against violence in the Skver Hasidic village of New Square, said his lawyer, Franklyn H. Snitow.
"The rabbi has done everything in his power to ensure that New Square has been a safe and peaceful community for decades," Snitow said in a statement.
The victim's lawsuit alleges that Twersky was responsible for months of intimidation that culminated in the May 22 arson attack on the Rottenberg home. Rottenberg suffered third-degree burns to more than 60 percent of his body in the attack.
The suspect, Shaul Spitzer, 18, of New Square, is named as a co-defendant in Rottenberg's $18 million lawsuit, filed June 14 in state Supreme Court in New City by attorney Michael Sussman.
Rottenberg's lawsuit claims Twersky endorsed several months of intimidation and violence directed at his family in response to Rottenberg's praying at the Friedwald Nursing Home instead of the New Square synagogue, where Twersky presides.
The lawsuit says that, between September and May, the Rottenberg family was a constant target; Rottenberg's daughter was expelled from a village yeshiva and the family received several threatening telephone calls and had car windows smashed on numerous occasions.
On Monday, Snitow condemned such violence on Twersky's behalf.
"Such behavior has never been nor will every be tolerated," he said. "In addition, we strongly believe that the civil case brought against the grand rebbe has no legal or factual basis."
In an email Monday, Sussman, an attorney based in Goshen, N.Y., called Snitow's statement "nonsense."
"The grand rabbi has sat by and allowed terror through the community," Sussman wrote.
"The Rottenberg case is not isolated and Mr. Snitow should know better than to associate with profound lawlessness.
"I welcome the upcoming legal battle."
Spitzer, who had lived with Twersky for more than a year before the attack, is the only one to be criminally charged in connection with the case.
He faces charges of second-degree attempted murder, second-degree arson and first-degree assault.
Spitzer pleaded not guilty in Rockland County Court on Friday and is free on $300,000 bail.
Rottenberg has been living at a hotel since his release from Westchester Medical Center on June 20.
After enduring two skin graft procedures, he is facing weeks of occupational and physical therapy.
Rottenberg has said he hopes to return to New Square soon.
Twersky, 70, has been the grand rebbe of New Square since 1968. He rarely comments publicly and did not comment on the Rottenberg attack until four days later.
Snitow, of Snitow Kanfer Holtzer & Millus in Manhattan, has been as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, according to his firm's website.
Since entering private practice in 1976, Snitow has handled a number of high-profile cases, many involving issues concerning the First Amendment.
White Plains, NY - The chief rabbi in a Hasidic village north of New York City says a recent lawsuit filed against him is without merit.
A resident of New Square who was badly burned in May had alleged Grand Rebbe David Twersky directed the attack. Plaintiff Aron Rottenberg claimed Twersky targeted him because he had begun praying at a synagogue other than the principal one in the insular village of 7,000 residents.
On Monday, Twersky’s attorney Franklyn Snitow issued a statement saying the lawsuit has no legal or factual basis. The attorney says Twersky condemns violence.
Eighteen-year-old village resident Shaul Spitzer has been indicted on charges of attempted murder, attempted arson and assault in the attack. He has pleaded not guilty.
Spitzer’s lawyer says Twersky wasn’t involved in the attack on Rottenberg.
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NEW SQUARE — The newly hired lawyer for Grand Rebbe David Twersky said Monday that a civil lawsuit brought against his client by burn victim Aron Rottenberg is baseless.
The rabbi has actively campaigned against violence in the Skver Hasidic village of New Square, said his lawyer, Franklyn H. Snitow.
"The rabbi has done everything in his power to ensure that New Square has been a safe and peaceful community for decades," Snitow said in a statement.
The victim's lawsuit alleges that Twersky was responsible for months of intimidation that culminated in the May 22 arson attack on the Rottenberg home. Rottenberg suffered third-degree burns to more than 60 percent of his body in the attack.
The suspect, Shaul Spitzer, 18, of New Square, is named as a co-defendant in Rottenberg's $18 million lawsuit, filed June 14 in state Supreme Court in New City by attorney Michael Sussman.
Rottenberg's lawsuit claims Twersky endorsed several months of intimidation and violence directed at his family in response to Rottenberg's praying at the Friedwald Nursing Home instead of the New Square synagogue, where Twersky presides.
The lawsuit says that, between September and May, the Rottenberg family was a constant target; Rottenberg's daughter was expelled from a village yeshiva and the family received several threatening telephone calls and had car windows smashed on numerous occasions.
On Monday, Snitow condemned such violence on Twersky's behalf.
"Such behavior has never been nor will every be tolerated," he said. "In addition, we strongly believe that the civil case brought against the grand rebbe has no legal or factual basis."
In an email Monday, Sussman, an attorney based in Goshen, N.Y., called Snitow's statement "nonsense."
"The grand rabbi has sat by and allowed terror through the community," Sussman wrote.
"The Rottenberg case is not isolated and Mr. Snitow should know better than to associate with profound lawlessness.
"I welcome the upcoming legal battle."
Spitzer, who had lived with Twersky for more than a year before the attack, is the only one to be criminally charged in connection with the case.
He faces charges of second-degree attempted murder, second-degree arson and first-degree assault.
Spitzer pleaded not guilty in Rockland County Court on Friday and is free on $300,000 bail.
Rottenberg has been living at a hotel since his release from Westchester Medical Center on June 20.
After enduring two skin graft procedures, he is facing weeks of occupational and physical therapy.
Rottenberg has said he hopes to return to New Square soon.
Twersky, 70, has been the grand rebbe of New Square since 1968. He rarely comments publicly and did not comment on the Rottenberg attack until four days later.
Snitow, of Snitow Kanfer Holtzer & Millus in Manhattan, has been as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, according to his firm's website.
Since entering private practice in 1976, Snitow has handled a number of high-profile cases, many involving issues concerning the First Amendment.
Rod Blagojevich: GUILTY
CHICAGO -- A jury convicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday of nearly all the corruption charges against him, including that he tried to sell or trade President Obama's old Senate seat.
Blagojevich had faced 20 charges, including the Senate seat allegation and that he schemed to shake down executives for campaign donations. He was convicted on all charges regarding the Senate seat.
Jurors delivered their verdicts Monday after deliberating nine days.
Blagojevich had testified for seven days, denying wrongdoing. Prosecutors said he lied and the proof was on FBI wiretaps. Those included a widely parodied clip in which Blagojevich calls the Senate opportunity "f------ golden."
Jurors in his first trial deadlocked on all but one charge, convicting Blagojevich of lying to the FBI. Blagojevich already faces up to five years for the lying conviction.
Blagojevich, 54, had arrived at the courthouse accompanied by his wife, Patti, and walked past the crowds that lined the street outside the building.
Prosecutors, defense attorneys and dozens of reporters filed into the courtroom Monday after the court announced it had received word of a note from jurors.
"The jury has come to a decision on 18 of the 20 counts," Zagel said, clutching the note and reading it aloud. Jurors added they were deadlocked on two counts and "were confident" they couldn't agree on those charges "even with further deliberations."
Blagojevich was arrested in December 2008, after the FBI had wiretapped hundreds of his telephone calls at work and home. The Illinois Legislature impeached him a month later.
Both trials hinged on whether the former governor's bold ramblings to aides and others on the telephone was just talk, as he insisted, or part of "a political crime spree," in the words of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
Before a national audience, the Blagojevich saga exacerbated Illinois' reputation for graft. The convictions mean Blagojevich is the second Illinois governor in a row facing a prison sentence for corruption. His predecessor, former Gov. George Ryan, is serving a 6 1/2 year sentence.
The case also became a media spectacle, as the indicted governor and his wife appeared on TV reality shows, and as the loquacious Blagojevich made theatrical appearances daily outside the courthouse during the first trial to profess his innocence and hug his remaining fans.
In a case full of high-level name dropping, defense attorneys in the retrial pulled into court Chicago's new Mayor Rahm Emanuel and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Emanuel's appearance on the witness stand, the most anticipated by a Chicago mayor in a federal courtroom in decades, was over in just five minutes. Jackson was done in about half an hour.
Overall, though, the retrial had far less of the circus-like atmosphere that accompanied the initial trial. Blagojevich himself also was more subdued this time.
Other major differences were in the prosecution's dramatically streamlined case, and the fact that the defense put on a case after not doing so the first time around.
Prosecutors dropped racketeering counts against the ex-governor and dismissed all charges against his then co-defendant brother, Robert Blagojevich. They presented just three weeks of evidence -- half the time taken at the first trial. They called fewer witnesses, asked fewer questions and played shorter excerpts of FBI wiretaps that underpin most of the charges.
There was also a new variable at the retrial: The testimony from Blagojevich himself. At the first trial, the defense rested without calling any witnesses and Blagojevich didn't testify despite vowing that he would.
Retrial jurors saw a deferential Blagojevich look them in the eyes and deny every allegation, telling them his talk on the recordings was mere brainstorming.
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