Gov. Drops Immigration Charges Against Rubashkin

IOWA CITY, Iowa [AP] — Prosecutors have dismissed all 72 immigration charges against a former Iowa kosher slaughterhouse manager.

The move came after Sholom Rubashkin’s conviction last week in federal court on financial fraud charges.

Prosecutors filed the motion Thursday morning, one day after a bail hearing for Rubashkin, the former manager of Agriprocessors, Inc.

Rubashkin was scheduled to go on trial for the immigration charges on Dec. 2 in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Agriprocessors plant was the site of a massive immigration raid in May 2008.

35 Comments

  • Happy tears

    Didan Netzach! I’m crying! I have been davening so hard, and will keep doing so until we hear ONLY good news. Take chizuk!

  • disgusted

    of course they dropped the charges. now that they dragged his good name and deeds through the mud and got him “guilty” of 86 bank fraud charges! it’s considered bank fraud if it’s purposefully stealing the banks money, which he did not do. they paid their interest, which is all the bank cared about. the bank knew/could have easily found out what was going on BUT THEY DID NOT CARE.

  • He needs concurrent

    So the Gov. got what they wanted and decided not to over kill.

    Now if he has a little mazel the judge will make the sentences concurrent and he might walk away with 10-15 years.

  • Boruch HaSheM

    Maybe now the judge will realize that the entire case was one big farse and have all the charges dropped.

    May we be zoiche to see such nisim in the chasidishe month of geulah

  • MEIR

    BH

    WE WERE WAITING FOR A STATEMENT OR EXPRESSION OF SUPPORT AT THE KINUS ON SUNDAY. NO MENTION OF OUR BELOVED BROTHER NOT ONE WORD.
    O.K WE HOPE THAT QUIET DIPLOMACY WILL PREVAIL. IT’S CLEAR THAT SM WAS CONVICTED BECAUSE HE’S AN OPEN JEW.CORPORATIONS DO EXACTLY WHAT SM DID, OVER STATE YOUR COLLATERAL VALUE. NO CORP. EXECUTIVE IS SITTING BECAUSE OF IT.
    THAT A CHANGE OF VENUE TO SOUTH DEKOTA WASN’T A SMART MOVE AND THE USE OF THE CURRENT LAWYERS WASN’T EITHER. SECOND GUESSING DOESN’T FIX THE PROBLEM.
    NOW LET’S SEE WHAT THE ORGANIZATION THAT THE REBBE PUT IN PLACE CAN DO TO EXERT THE POLITICAL PRESSURE NECESSARY TO LIGHTEN THE SENTENCE AWAITING OUR HOLY BROTHER[MAY G-D PROTECT HIM]

  • it will be good!

    The only reason why he had many of the 91 fraud charges were because of the damage the immigration raid on Agri in the first place…

    this calls for some real action.

  • me

    omygosh, omygosh, omygosh!
    A real geula.
    Let us hope and pray that this is the start of his complete Yeshua!

  • It will be

    The reason why they dropped the charges is becuase if there is no court case on Dec 2.2009 for immigration then there is no bail hearing necessary either….in other words they didn’t want him to get bail until the other court case was through.

    his defense was trying to get him bail until the other immigrations was over, the prosecution is positive he will flee if he goes out on bail, so they dropped the charges and that solves that.

  • YK

    Yesterday we read as Nat Lewin said that when you appeal a verdict, only 10% of the cases get a new trial.
    This could only help to be part of the 10%, and when the immigration charges are out he may not even get any prison time BE”H.
    If the immigration charges were not brought on the first place, the problems with the nonpayment or inflated sales would have never happened, now a retrial could be 100% favorable for SMR.
    Please get yidishe lawyers and a better place.
    The lawyers for the banks only pressed charges against the Rubashkin as a retaliation for their applying for chapter 11. That should be also taken in consideration.
    Nat Lewin please comment.
    Hashem continue helping

  • FYI to all

    YES I agree this is a major simcha for all but………

    i just spoke to someone who is heavily involved in this case and he told me that there is 1 small itzy bitzy detail that no one is posting. Possible not to dampen the joy or maybe because not too many people know this.

    In the agreement between the feds and SMR there was 1 condition to dropping the case that if the feds want at any time (yes any time meaning that there is NO statue of limitations) they can bring back some if not all the 72 charges at any time.

    The good part about is that they must go to the same judge who is presently starting a new case and has a lot more after that one is. So in 6 months a year or even 10 yrs the judge might not be interested in hearing this case all over again

  • To MEIR:

    What are you talking about?? I was at the banquet, and Rabbi Kotlarsky actually mentioned him and wished him etc. Don’t know where you got that from????!!!!!!

  • Your Brother Shliach

    Dear Meir, I totally agree with you. Think of the power of the tehillim and well wishes of all the gathered Shluchim at the convention!! Not one word, except a hurried 3 words at the end of the speeches as the shluchim were filing out!!! What’s wrong my brothers? Afraid your associations will tarnish your good name back at home? Well, associating yourself with this amazing man could have only HELPED you spiritually and ultimately b’gashmius. SMR was ALWAYS there when YOU needed him. I was ashamed and I am so glad that “Meir” brought it up!!

  • AD MOSAI???????

    I’M SO HAPPY I’M ALMOST CRYING..YES TRULEY SOME LIGHT HAS BEEN REVEALED IN THIS DARKNESS!!!!!!!!!!! LETS KEEP DAVENING EVEN HARDER

  • shlomo

    meir, you are wrong> there where plenty of public please and hachlotos of support at the kinus.

  • To Meir ( Kinus)

    get your facts before you post a comment on a public form, his name was mention in the pan kloli that was read on Friday, r’ moshe k did mention his name at the banquet on Sunday and at a farbrengen after the banquet in 770 hundrends of shluchim said lchaim for him and sang podah vesholom.
    may we continue to hear good news

  • to MEIR

    He WAS mentioned and davened for at the BAnquet. R’ Kotlarsky asked everyone to daven for him, at the end of the banquet, and quoted ‘what a chissidishe farbrengan can accomplish, even Malach Michoel cannot accomplish, etc.”

  • Sick of it

    I don’t get all these people who keep bringing the Kinus HaShluchim into this. Whether Sholom was guilty of bank fraud or not, it’s not the shluchim’s place to get involved. A shliach’s job is to bring Yiddishkeit to other Jews, not to lobby on other matters, political, financial, or otherwise. Yes, Sholom Mordechai was a huge ba’al tzedakah and helped hundreds of shluchim through his amazing work. But I think even SM would agree that shluchim should not get involved in this matter. It’s not why the Rebbe sent them out, and anyone who tells you otherwise needs to relearn what Lubavitch and Chassidus in general is all about.

  • me

    not only do we have to keep davening, but we should add in mitzvos, hachlatos, and get everyone we know to take something upon themselves in zechus of sholom mordechai halevi b-n rivkah’s complete yeshua and geulah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • TO: SICK OF IT

    Yes, saying tehillim and mentioning SMs situation and what everyone can do to help is definitely not what Chasidus and lubavitch is all about. After all, since when is ahavas yisroel part of Chasidus anyway? Who cares if its only part of Judaism, chabad is above that….

    you’re an absolute moron

  • ad mosai!?

    to “sick of it”
    yeah but it’s still important we talk about it and support him and daven for him and let other know the importance of davening for him and doing acts of kindness for him..he is part of the big picture!

  • Sadly, this isn-t good news for SMR.

    This is no didan notzach. The charges were dismissed without prejudice. This means that the government can decide to bring the charges once again, if and when it wants to.

    If Sholom Rubashkin does not get at least a lifetime sentence or gets exonerated on appeal, it is possible and maybe even likely, that the government will refile the charges. They want him to get the maximum possible sentence and they want him in as early as possible.

    As far as I can tell, they’re not interested in putting more money into the case when Rubashkin will likely spend the rest of his life in jail anyways. If circumstances change, they may decide that it’s worth fighting the immigration charges.

    I’m not sure how positive of a change this is for Rubashkin, although it could save some legal fees. On the other hand, it also means an earlier arrival in jail.

  • ATTENTION WOMEN

    PLEASE, WOMEN, THOSE WHO ARE MAKING CHALLA, DAVEN FOR SHOLOM MORDECHAI hALEVI BEN RIVKA. ALSO DAVEN AT LICHT BENCHEN. FOR A COMPLETE YESHUA.

  • CLUELESS

    didan netzach… omg this is amazing but i dont get SO WHATS WITH THE OTHER CHARGES…?

  • this is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    hello to all,
    i was in nevel once be for .
    i was talking to mrs rivka rubashkin and she told me that the lubavitcher REBBE told her and her husband to open up the plant.
    and thats what they did.

    i always ask my self this question “how could the rebbe have let this happen to SMR??”
    but than i tell myself that there are deeper reasons for the whole mess up to happen and its not for me to question why.

    i recently wrote a letter to the igros kodesh.
    one of the things that i wrote was that SM should be free of all charges and please let him go back home peacefully.
    when i finished reading the answer i was amazed!!
    it was saying that IYH everything will be good!!!!
    i say tehillim for SM almost every day and whenever i do i always here more news and better news about SM.
    so if we ALL put an extra effort in our tehillim and try to say it every day SM will IYH be FREE from ALL charges!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    MOSHIACH NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Omain

  • to Meir Bashers

    to everyone who is bashing meir

    i think what he meant to say was why wasnt there 1-2 minutes of the banquet set aside for 400+ shluchim and lay leaders to say a few kapitlach tehilim together.

    yes we know that MK took 10 seconds out of the busy schedule to mention his name but………………………..

  • to: SickOfIt & ReplyToMeirPeople

    the kinus is a gathering of ppl who have koichos. Amongst themselves, they do all davven for him. But the turmoil that a tefillah at the banquet can cause in shomayim cannot be done to the same degree at any other time.
    You have the thousands of shluchim, their guests, the 1000s more watching online, and all of us together, davvening even 1 perek tehillim or singing 1 niggun davka in his zchus could have been arranged. Yet the holy RMY“K was only able to mumble a quick sentence at the end that ppl should go & think of him when they farbreng. Come on! I do not call that ”doing what we can“ I think those few words were probably bec. many ppl bombarded him at the banquet with the question: ”why no thoughts for SMR?” and so he was forced to mumble a quick something.

  • To FYI

    good part is it needs to go thru same judge?!?!?!?!?
    why is that good? have you checked out her ratings? everyone in her courtroom gets sentenced for life. She doesn’t even bother working on listening to the case. She chooses their fate before the case starts. Then again, she may CH”V choose his fate before the case begins.
    The good part, from my point of view, is that now that those cases were dropped, and that was the original issue, maybe that will have a good affect on the 86 charges. Maybe they’ll realize it’s all a setup, and they’ll free him.

  • MEIR

    b’h
    AS REBBE AKIVA SAYS IN AVOS “IF I’M NOT FOR MYSELF WHO WILL BE FOR ME? IF I AM ONLY FOR MYSELF WHAT AM I? IF NOT NOW…WHEN?”
    IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO STAND BY WHILE OUR BROTHER BLEEDS TO DEATH AND THIS VERDICT IS A DEATH SENTENCE.THEREFORE, WITH A ROOM PACKED WITH 3000 JEWS AND LUBAVITCHERS BESIDES THEN IT IS MANDITORY UPON US TO RAISE OUR VOICES AND PROTEST THIS TRAVISTY OF JUSTICE.

  • moshiaj now

    hashem is in every place, i´m sure hashem knows what he does, if it´s in hashems desire he will be safe.
    moshiaj now

  • danny

    sorry bit confused, if the 72 charges are dropped, whats left, I see he still has jail time, but what for? the bank fraud? if thats the case then what about who ever said it that bank fraud is only liable when its with intent? so does this mean he is off the hook or only off for some things?
    someone (who know what they are talking about) please explain.

  • Isi

    For your info Rabbi Moshe Feller spoke very passionately screaming and almost crying for 10 minutes on Sunday morning to hundreds of Shluchim about helping Sholom Mordechai