Moshe Rubashkin

Moshe Rubashkin is the second-oldest son of Rivka and Aaron Rubashkin, a Lubavitcher hasidic butcher from Brooklyn, New York, born in Nevel, Russia.

In 1983, Rubashkin was arrested and indicted on felony assault and riot charges.{{cite news |title=3 Hasidim Indicted| url= https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/08/nyregion/the-city-3hasidimindicted.html | date= December 8, 1983| work= The New York Times}} He later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to three years probation and 300 hours of community service.{{cite news |title= 2 Plead Guilty In Hasidic Melee| url= https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/08/nyregion/briefing-2-plead-guilty-in-hasidic-melee.html| date= May 8, 1985| work= The New York Times}}

In 1995, Rubashkin and his father, Aaron Rubashkin, as owners of Cherry Hill Textiles Mill in Brooklyn, New York, were found guilty by the National Labor Relations Board of failing to pay union dues deducted from workers' wages, for six months in 1993 through the date of the judgement.{{cite court| url= http://www.nlrb.gov/shared_files/Board%20Decisions/318/318-40.pdf | litigants= Cherry Hill Textiles Inc and United Production Workers Union, Local 17-18 | opinion= 29-CA-17848 |court= National Labor Relations Board |date= 1995 | vol=318}} They were ordered to make restitution with interest.

Rubashkin owned and operated Montex Textiles, a textile dyeing, bleaching and weaving business in Allentown, Pennsylvania, bought by the Rubashkin family in 1989 until it was closed in 2001.[https://www.corporations.state.pa.us/corp/soskb/Corp.asp?825964 Montex Textiles Ltd.]{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

A government investigation found that between March 25, 1999, and March 30, 1999, Rubashkin attempted to deposit three checks totalling $325,000 payable to Montex drawn from an account of an entity named First Choice Associates in Brooklyn, that he knew did not have the funds to cover the checks.{{cite news | title= Factory Owner Charged With Bank Fraud

| url= https://www.mcall.com/2002/06/07/factory-owner-charged-with-bank-fraud/| date= June 7, 2002| publisher= The Morning Call (Allentown, PA)}} He pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud under US CODE 18 § 1344, "execution of a scheme to defraud a financial institution" on July 31, 2002.[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1344- Cornell Law School, legal Information]

He was sentenced to 15 months in prison, five years probation, and fined $233,000. He appealed the length of the sentence without success.{{cite web| url= http://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/03D0117P.pdf| title= United States of America vs. Moshe Rubashkin, Criminal action 02-333-01 | publisher= United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania | author= Hutton, Herbert J. | date= March 19, 2003}} He served his time at Fort Dix Federal Prison in New Jersey.

Prior to this, Rubashkin was involved in a separate punishable offense. In his capacity as president of Montex, he had failed to secure workers' compensation insurance for the company's employees, required by Pennsylvania law. On May 4, 2001, he was placed in an Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition (ARD) program for a period of 18 months and ordered to pay $968 in fines, costs, and restitution.{{cite web| url= http://www.lexisone.com/lx1/caselaw/freecaselaw?action=OCLGetCaseDetail&format=FULL&sourceID=gdih&searchTerm=ejEO.WGXa.aadi.YaYL&searchFlag=y&l1loc=FCLOW| title= United States of America v. Moshe Rubashkin, Appellant. No. 02-4180| publisher= United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit| date= July 23, 2003| access-date= November 8, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110716094311/http://www.lexisone.com/lx1/caselaw/freecaselaw?action=OCLGetCaseDetail&format=FULL&sourceID=gdih&searchTerm=ejEO.WGXa.aadi.YaYL&searchFlag=y&l1loc=FCLOW| archive-date= July 16, 2011| url-status= dead| df= mdy-all}}

The textile mill closed in 2001, but numerous containers of hazardous waste were stored without the necessary environmental permits on the premises. In 2002, the mill was sold to a New York corporation called Skyline Industries, Inc. According to the prosecution, the Rubashkin family had maintained an interest in the plant following its sale to Skyline Industries and during subsequent complex financial transactions, including a $4 million mortgage foreclosure awarded to a company called Supreme Realty of Brooklyn.{{cite news| url= http://www.haaretz.com/news/chabad-linked-rabbi-fined-0-5-million-in-toxic-waste-case-1.238721| title= Chabad-linked rabbi fined $0.5 million in toxic waste case. Rabbi Moshe Rubashkin of Crown Heights charged with storing chemical waste at textile mill owned by his family | date= February 6, 2008| author= Sadka, Saul| publisher= Haaretz}} In 2005, an order by the city was issued for the property to be sold at a sheriff's auction because of unpaid school and county property taxes. Shortly before the planned sale, a fire broke out at the plant; that was followed by three more fires — one of which was attributed to arson.{{cite news | title= Blaze at Montex Textiles in Allentown ruled arson| url= https://www.mcall.com/2005/05/05/blaze-at-montex-textiles-in-allentown-ruled-arson-building-had-been-set-for-sheriffs-sale-to-recoup-back-taxes/| date=May 5, 2005| author= Pomponio, Angela | publisher= The Morning Call}} The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) obtained a court order to enter the site. They found major fire hazards, including explosive aluminium powder and acids.Grossman, Eliot: "EPA fears that hazardous chemicals pose imminent risk". Allentown Morning Call, October 21, 2005 The EPA initiated a clean-up of the property in October 2005, including disposal of numerous containers of hazardous wastes and substances. In November 2007, Rubashkin and his son, Sholom Rubashkin, formerly in charge of running the family's real estate branch under the alias Sam Sternburg, were arrested and indicted on charges of illegal storage of hazardous waste without a permit and one count of making a materially false statement.{{cite news| title= Indictments Hit Prominent Crown Heights Family| url= http://www.forward.com/articles/11650/#ixzz11Zl55lPk| date= September 19, 2007| author= Brostoff, Marissa| publisher= The Jewish Daily Forward}}, {{cite news| title= U.S. Department of Justice News Release| url= http://www.justice.gov/usao/pae/News/Pr/2007/sep/rubashkinrelease.pdf| date= September 12, 2007| publisher= U.S. Department of Justice| access-date= October 13, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100830164515/http://www.justice.gov/usao/pae/News/Pr/2007/sep/rubashkinrelease.pdf| archive-date= August 30, 2010| url-status= dead| df= mdy-all}}

Moshe Rubashkin pleaded guilty in February 2008. In November 2008, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay $450,000 (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=450000|start_year=2008}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) in fines. The monies will be distributed between the EPA and the city of Allentown.{{cite web| url= http://iowaindependent.com/8247/rubashkin-family-member-heads-to-prison-for-pennsylvania-misdeeds| title= Rubashkin family member heads to prison for Pennsylvania misdeeds| date= November 6, 2008| author= Waddington, Lynda| publisher= The Iowa Independent| access-date= October 19, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090822213616/http://iowaindependent.com/8247/rubashkin-family-member-heads-to-prison-for-pennsylvania-misdeeds| archive-date= August 22, 2009| url-status= dead| df= mdy-all}} He served his time at Otisville Federal Prison, from where he was released on April 12, 2010.{{cite web| url= http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=Moshe&Middle=&LastName=Rubashkin&Race=U&Sex=U&Age=&x=95&y=15| title= U.S. Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator| publisher= U.S. Bureau of Prisons| date= February 11, 2009| access-date= February 11, 2010| archive-date= June 4, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110604125348/http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=Moshe&Middle=&LastName=Rubashkin&Race=U&Sex=U&Age=&x=95&y=15| url-status= dead}}

His son, Sholom, pleaded guilty to making a materially false statement to the EPA. In March 2009, he was sentenced to four months in prison and three years supervised release.{{cite news |title= Man jailed in Allentown hazmat case. He lied to EPA about family's role at Montex Textiles site| url= https://www.mcall.com/2009/03/25/man-jailed-in-allentown-hazmat-case-he-lied-to-epa-about-familys-role-at-montex-textiles-site/ | date= March 25, 2009| author= Muschick, Paul| publisher= The Morning Call}}

In 2005, Rubashkin was elected with 70% of the votes as chairman of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC), described as "a {{Sic|hide=y|publicly|-}}funded social service organization whose leadership doubles as the neighborhood's rabbinical council". His time in office was controversial. When elected, he was expected to help bridge divisiveness in the Lubavitcher community, and he was supposed not to be directly involved in the CHJCC's finances due to his conviction on felony charges,{{cite news |title=Felon Elected To Head Council in Brooklyn| url=http://www.forward.com/articles/3109/| date= March 18, 2005| author= Solomont, E.B.| publisher=The Forward}} but he was soon accused by fellow members of the Council of having misdirected funds for personal gain.{{cite news |title= Crown Heights JCC Leader Sued. Board members say chairman owes council millions; Rubashkin claims row is over bet din| url= http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=2282| date= May 25, 2006| author= Dickter, Adam | publisher= The Jewish Week}} Rubashkin was also reported to have physically attacked people who did not agree with him.{{cite news |title=Crown Heights Politics Takes A Drastic Turn For The Worse| url=http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=2521| date= June 26, 2006 | publisher=Crown Heights.info}}

At the end of his three-year term in January 2008, he successfully prevented elections taking place until May of the following year.{{cite news| title= The Crown Heights Chronicle - Special Edition| url= http://www.daashakohol.com/files/crown_heights_chronicle_special_issue_5-22-09-e2.pdf| date= May 22, 2009| publisher= DaasHakohol.com| access-date= October 15, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110708220014/http://www.daashakohol.com/files/crown_heights_chronicle_special_issue_5-22-09-e2.pdf| archive-date= July 8, 2011| url-status= dead| df= mdy-all}} When he was convicted a second time on felony charges, "no one seemed to mind ... And the strange thing is, even though he went to jail in November (2008), he remained president of the council until elections were held in May (2009). In May, (his) ticket lost the election. And then, something strange happened: ... Moshe′s family and supporters waged a court battle to retain control of the council."

• Sholom Rubashkin

• {{cite news | title=The Fall of the House of Rubashkin. As the nation's largest kosher empire implodes, Brooklyn's ultra-Orthodox Jews begin to break ranks | url=http://www.daashakohol.com/files/VilVoice.pdf | date=December 3, 2008 | author=Dwoskin, Elizabeth | publisher=The Village Voice | access-date=October 13, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708215935/http://www.daashakohol.com/files/VilVoice.pdf | archive-date=July 8, 2011 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}
• {{cite news |title= United States of America v. Moshe Rubashkin, (illegal storage of hazardous waste without a permit - 1 count), Sholom Rubashkin (false statement - 1 count) | url=http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/files/rubashkinind.pdf | author=Meehan, Patrick L., United States Attorney| publisher=The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania}}
• {{cite news| title=Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Inc. and Vaad Hakohol Deschunas Crown Heights against Shlomo Yehuda Segal, Yitzchok Raitport, Yitzchok Zirkind, Shmuel Plotkin, Harvey B. Lang, Moshe Rubashkin, Shalom Rubashkin, Yaakov H. Sufrin, and Capitol One Bank| url=http://www.crownheights.info/media/Leagal%20Rabonim.pdf| date=June 8, 2009| publisher=Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Kings| access-date=October 18, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719163955/http://www.crownheights.info/media/Leagal%20Rabonim.pdf| archive-date=July 19, 2011| url-status=dead| df=mdy-all}}
• {{cite news| title=Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Inc. and Vaad Hakohol Deschunas Crown Heights against Shlomo Yehuda Segal, Yitzchok Raitport, Yitzchok Zirkind, Shmuel Plotkin, Harvey B. Lang, Moshe Rubashkin, Shalom Rubashkin, Yaakov H. Sufrin, and Capitol One Bank; Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Inc. and Vaad Hakohol Crown Heights against Yisroel Best, Yisroel Sandhaus, Yisroel Landau, Kalman Bialestock, Fishel Brownstein, Zev Cadamer, ...| url=http://www.crownheights.info/media/Sub%20Vaad.pdf| date=July 17, 2009| publisher=Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Kings| access-date=October 18, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719164042/http://www.crownheights.info/media/Sub%20Vaad.pdf| archive-date=July 19, 2011| url-status=dead| df=mdy-all}}
• {{cite news| title=Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Inc. and Vaad Hakohol Deschunas Crown Heights against Shlomo Yehuda Segal, Yitzchok Raitport, Yitzchok Zirkind, Shmuel Plotkin, Harvey B. Lang, Moshe Rubashkin, Shalom Rubashkin, Yaakov H. Sufrin, and Capitol One Bank; Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Inc. and Vaad Hakohol Crown Heights against Yisroel Best, Yisroel Sandhaus, Yisroel Landau, Kalman Bialestock, Fishel Brownstein, Zev Cadamer, ...| url=http://www.crownheights.info/media/Sub%20Bogomilsky.pdf| date=July 17, 2009| publisher=Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Kings| access-date=October 18, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719164211/http://www.crownheights.info/media/Sub%20Bogomilsky.pdf| archive-date=July 19, 2011| url-status=dead| df=mdy-all}}

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Category:1958 births

Category:Living people

Category:American manufacturing businesspeople

Category:American Orthodox Jews

Category:American people convicted of fraud

Category:American people convicted of tax crimes

Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent

Category:American textile industry businesspeople

Category:Businesspeople from New York City

Category:Chabad-Lubavitch (Hasidic dynasty)

Category:People from Crown Heights, Brooklyn

Moshe

Category:American businesspeople convicted of crimes