By Grant Schultefor the Des Moines Register

DES MOINES, IA — Federal prosecutors have agreed to drop identity-theft charges against a former Postville slaughterhouse executive in a light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Prosecutors this afternoon asked a federal judge to dismiss seven counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft, in response to a motion filed last week by Sholom Rubashkin’s lawyer.

Government Seeks to Drop Charges Against Rubashkin

By Grant Schultefor the Des Moines Register

DES MOINES, IA — Federal prosecutors have agreed to drop identity-theft charges against a former Postville slaughterhouse executive in a light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Prosecutors this afternoon asked a federal judge to dismiss seven counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft, in response to a motion filed last week by Sholom Rubashkin’s lawyer.

Defense lawyer Guy Cook hailed the request as a victory for his client and a government admission of “overreaching in this case.” Government lawyers said the charges stemmed from violations that could have prosecuted until the recent Supreme Court ruling.

“There is nothing ‘unfair’ or ‘overreaching’ about subjecting defendant Rubashkin to the same laws as others,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan wrote in court papers.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that prosecutors who file identity-theft charges must prove the defendant knew that the information used belonged to another person.

Rubashkin was arrested last year on immigration, bank fraud and cattle-related charges, along with several other employees identified in what was then a 99-count indictment. The arrests followed a May 12, 2008, immigration raid at Agriprocessors Inc. that led to the arrest of 389 immigrant workers. The kosher meat plant also has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is seeking buyers.

Rubashkin also is among several employees charged with state-level child labor violations. He has pleaded not guilty to the state and federal charges.

6 Comments

  • Yanki

    This happened on Lag Baomer
    כדאי הוא רבי שמעון לסמך עליו בשעת הדחק

  • daven today lag b-omer

    shalom mordechai halevi ben rivkah

    daven today lag b’omer especialy at the ohel

    he should be completly freed from all charges

  • Eli

    for some reason I don’t see them putting a story about dropped charges on the front page..