Eliyahu Ezagui Gets 33 Months in Prison
A Brooklyn developer got a slap on the wrist Tuesday for masterminding a massive fraudulent mortgage scheme that left dozens of Lubavitcher residents in fear of losing their condo apartments.
Eliyahu Ezagui was sentenced to 33 months in prison for the scheme, which was first exposed by The Daily News in 2008 leading to his federal indictment.
Prosecutors asked Judge Frederic Block to give Ezagui 20 years for the multi-million-dollar fraud against mortgage lenders and apartment buyers.
Block said he saw the case differently — ruling that Ezagui had perpetrated a fraud primarily against the lenders, although the judge acknowledged the buyers were victims, too.
“Twenty years is a sentence for rapists and murderers, not fraud like in this case,” Block said.
Even under the judge’s revised calculation of the financial losses caused by Ezagui’s crimes, he could have still faced more than 10 years in prison.
Defense lawyer Susan Necheles had argued that Ezagui did not personally profit from the scheme that worked like this: He gave stolen deeds to family members in order to take out mortgage loans on apartments he did not own so he could fund construction costs.
Ezagui, 49, declined comment.
disbelief
oh and rubashkin is a rapist and murderer? O
anonymous
that’s less than 3 yrs B”H. the whole thing is unfortunate but thank G-d it’s not so much time.
Eli is a good guy
he should have a complete yeshua. Some people should be ashamed of the way they treated Eli
shmuli
As much as this is terrible – I am glad the judge had some sense and gave him a relatively short time.
I hope he can get out early on good behavior and use his home arrest against his time.
SAM
B’H
hopefully will be out before you know.
Thank you for all those that supported him. rks bls.
may we continue to hear good news
ayl
BH a short sentence.
Can he get parol?
how soon can he get out?
Rivka
Hummmmmm…….could we be seeing the next member of the Beit Din ?
sheichen hashchunah
After the turmoil of years of desperate effort to keep afloat a project upon which hundreds of yidden depended on him alone for its success, spending months confined to his home while his wife and children faced grief and troubles that he could only helplessly watch from afar, having his name and finances ground into the dirt and all the while trembling while the justice system weighed his life in the balance, and added to all of this a sentence of 33 months, hardly deserves to be characterized as a slap on the wrist. Ultimately, an impartial judge saw through the fog of claim and counter claim and issued a sentence that was based on a merciful combination of magnanimity and punishment. We should continually remind ourselves during these times when chaos and strife loom and threaten to engulf our world, led by fools and knaves, we must, for our own sakes as well, temper our wish for vengeance masquerading as a demand for justice and rejoice when a fellow Jew finds favor in the eyes of God and by extension in the eyes of man. Isn’t this what we would wish for ourselves and the ones we love. So be it; Leiv melachim b’yod hashem.
sick of this garbage!
and what about the people who he stole the titles from? He should have been required to pay them back! I am sick of this – feeling sorry for victimizer garbage instead of for the victims.The fact that he got a short sentence means that others can risk the same garbage too. He didn’t need jail time – he needed to be forced to pay back the fraudulent mortgages and give each of the defrauded parties their title!
The sneer says it all
That sneer on his face says it all. I got away with it tough luck to those who suffered and when I get out I’ll do it again if they are dumb enough to let me.
Your parents should have smack you
To#7
You are a stupid pompous chutspenyack. Thank you CH . Info for approving that comment. Both of you have your true colors showing
A freand to you.
Eli you owe me alot of money.Hoever, im very happy you got only 33 mont. With HASHEMS help you will get back on your feet & will be able to repay everyone.Good luck.
You all make me sick!
Shut up everyone! He’s a theif and liar and HORRIBLE PERSON!!!! He deserves WAY more than what he got! My friend lost her home because of him! Hashem should not forgive him this coming yom kippur!!!! he does NOT deserve it!!!!
more than meets the eye
“which was first exposed by The Daily News ”
I don’t think this was EXPOSED by the daily news…
I think there was some type of messira here…
Also, the so called “victims” were not all as innocent as they make out to be…I don’t think that they all thought that this was a 100% “regular” deal…
On all accounts, may we have no more such stories.
Moshiach NOW!!!
Smack the girl
Eli is a good person and I hope he gets our quickly I will pray for you. And to #13 stop blaming others for your own stupidity
HaGoinev min Hagavnev
In 33 months – just in time to take Chanin’s position.
Nicademus
Rubashkin, Balkany, Ezagui, the Syrian Rabbis in Deal NJ (Drek?)the lady in Monsey. The list goes on and on. Didn’t anybody ever learn the FIRST Mishna in Mesechto Brochos? It says: “The truth is you can lain krias shema until the morning. If so, why did the chochomim tell us to say it by chatsos? TO KEEP A PERSON FAR AWAY FROM SIN.” Why is it that we follow this rule when it comes to Shabbos, Kashrus, Taharas Ha-Mishpocho, etc. etc., but when it comes to money, we run do do avairos.
The frum community had better get its act together when it comes to gelt zachin, or you will be oh-so-very surprised when you you see what the satan has planned.Rachmono letslan, Hoya lo si’hiye.
Yaakov in Sydney
I know Eli for a decade…whatever he might have done, I don’t believe that he did this financial maneuver maliciously…Eli is certainly a clever man, but definitely neither a thief nor a liar…He had the best of intentions as to satisfy the Rebbe’s desire for affordable housing for Yidden. Although he may have played fast and loose with the creative financing, he ultimately had the best interests of the homeowners in mind. Moreover, Eli is surely not blind, he knew the consequences clearly and would not have jeopardized all he had worked towards for a few dollars comparatively, or for that matter placed his family and their freedoms at risk as well…if justice is served and that is questionable lets forgive and move ahead to bring the full revelation of Moshiach, together with all our brothers and sisters..immediately mamiah
I see and feel the hate in your comment
It is an old picture DUDE…they pulled out from their archive……few month ago….
your sinas chinom says it all!!!
MICHOEL BUTLER
TO ALL THE NASTY COMMENTS DO YOU KNOW BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY DID YOU EVER PUT YOURSELF IN THE OTHER PERSONS SHOES OR ARE YOU ONLY A ONE SIDED HYPOCRITICAL JUDGE , WHERE YOU CAN SIT ANON AND POST MALICIOUS CLAIMS AND COMMENTS LIKE THE COWARD LOSER THAT YOU ARE….. EVERYONE GROW UP BELIEVE IT OR NOT MANY A TIME THE WORLD IS WATCHING ALL IT TAKES IS GOOGLE ALERT THIS IS GETTING BEYOND DISGUSTING….. WE NEED MOSHIACH NOW AND LETS ALL WORK TO THAT GOAL….
Malka
‘masterminding a massive fraudulent mortgage scheme that left dozens of Lubavitcher…’
sounds awful (webby?), he didn’t do this deliberately!! His intentions were good! it didn’t work out, he didn’t intend to leave people without homes!. In my humble opinion jail time should be obliterated from the face of the earth, its a cruel punishment, let people pay back what they owe, even double, and not be separated from their families, ouch! In case of murder there shd be an arei Miklat. Jails are HORRIBLE, G-d should protect His People.
friend
the Judge said something very important, it should be used to help Rubashkins case hopefully
sit behind bars
He should repay all the money he stole and hopefully learn his lesson while he sits behind bars. Thank Hashem for justice.
moishe silber
b’h, b’h!!!!!he is a father and husband and son, and for him 33 months is a very long time.those who were hurt by him gain nothing if he sits for years.how can anyone want a jew to sit in jail for money owed???? let him get out and maybe he can recoup and pay up, but why ssit?
oyvavoy
some of you are worse than the judge herself! Someone losing their home is a horrible thing, but to wish upon a yid to have a long time in prison….is truly and wholy unfathomable!! Get your priorities straight!!
Yosef Mordechai Binyamin
y didn’t he get 28 or 29 years so what he is a yid when u behave like a sick man & rob frum ppl & scam them u deserve 29 years in prison. Sorry 2 bad. You messed up you pay 4 it. How dare he do that. You don’t do that 2 hard working ppl. On the other hand y didn’t the condo buyers ask 4 a deed from him, whatever the case is.He should get 29 & with 29 is still under 30 so they could still say he got less than 30 years. Shame on him I feel no remorse 4 that man. His wife should tell him off & hopefully when he gets out of prison he will have more brains in his head, when he did the crime his brains were in his nose.
to #14
1) how do you know im not a man? you dont know who anyone who is anomynous on here is. 2) how am i stupid? im mad at him. its absolutely disguisting what he did! i wish he got more time!!! thats my opinion! EVERYONE has a right to their opinion!
a Mentch-ess.
To all you pathetic comment writers,
Your approach at stating your opinion is horribly wrong and simply not menchlecht.
Whilst everyone is entailed to have their own opinion, yours should be kept in your head. Being that EVERYONE makes mistakes, and we are all children of Hashem. And how dare you (yes, YOU, number 13) say Gd won’t forgive him on YK. You should do some serious reevaluating yourself if you consider yourself anything more than a chasid, a human being at most.
For once, put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Think about the posuk “Vahavta” because it’s REALLY easy to love your fellow Jew who is perfect, but the catch is, you have to love EVERY JEW, and have rachmanis on him and his family. And if you really care of the morale of the Jewish people as a whole, take a positive approach, something small yet powerfully effective.
Sinas chinam is what destroyed our holy temple. Make it YOUR business to care. How could you dare ask for Moshiach if this is how you’re acting?
Pull it together, show a little love, a little humanity.
Mordechai Yitzchak
2 comment #16 Rubashkin was an innocent man Ezagui is a big fat theif that is the difference. Don’t compare the 2. Y is the man serving time if he is so innocent. Please it says don’t feel remorsefull on Wicked ppl what he did was a wicked thing. No remorse on him, Y didn’t he get 35 years ?
MAZAL TOV !!!!!!!
MAZAL TOV BORUCH HASHEM!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave L.
no one Lost anything
everyone got the money back years ago
how about reading the court papers YOU MORONS??!!
BUNCH OF INVESTORS ANYWAYS, THERE WERE NO FAMILIES AT RISK….WHAT A HYPE
Eli, thank you for all the good youve done for us!
CMA
Boruch Hashem he got off so easy. There’s no question he wasn’t trying to hurt anybody. Hopefully with good behavior and parole, he’ll be out in a year and a half…
Shlomo
I agree with #10. I lived in 1227 President St. in 1988. Eli Ezagui threatened me with a gun. Given the opportunity he will do it again. I would have liked to see a multi-million dollar penalty. Because Eli hurt many families in their bank accounts. And with a beard, he’s a crook.
don-t trap yourself
Don’t fall into the trap yourself! The civil courts have dealt with this issue and, if needs be, I’m sure that the Heavenly Court will deal with it further. Don’t fall into the trap of bringing yourself before the Heavenly Court! Guard your tongue!
As for those who suffered financial losses, present your case to HaKodesh Baruch Hu and leave it at that. Everything is a test in emunah. Please, treat it as such or you’ll just have to take the same test over and over and over until you pass it. There’s a time for tikkun olam and a time for tikkun nefesh.
Milhouse
#31, What are you talking about? The families are STILL in court trying to keep the banks from evicting them, and it doesn’t look good. This conviction and sentence may help them. The plaintiffs were willing to testify for him and ask for a light sentence, if he would only testify in their case against the banks and admit what he did to them, but he refused.
all you no brainers
All you no brainers that Are saying bad i can bet you are lairs and steilers
to # 22
i agree – what the judge said is very important and yes, i hope it can help rubashkin too. that poor guy is sitting in jail while murderers and rapists are walking free.
Time to give back
Eli,maybe now you can give the homeowners the papers for the deeds: You know many of them signed papers asking the judge to lighten your sentence although,you ——— them BIG Time!!
oiss vorff
to # 7 ..i know u ment to the vadd hakoll , it was a typo on yr part ,,
eliyaho is a gr8 guy , may hashem be with u .. hugs and more hugs
eplain
did ppl loses money with the condos?
let say someone paud 100k cash for an appartment ,did not have the deed,so, what happened next? did the have to pay nore? how much? please,explain
Joseph Isaac from Cozumel Mexico
Eli was a fantastic person from all my memories, and easy to get along with.. hope that the time passes fast for him, and that he uses that time in a positive way to effect others. As for the victims, I wish for them a speedy recovery for any monetary losses.
baruch hashem
you guys are all a bunch of haters,he should have never even been in the situation if not for the mossrim,the so called “familys at risk” is a load of crap they were all investors and got all ther money back.there was no money lost,most even made money,they were just so greedy that the greed led them to put another yid in jail!!! can you possible understand that?! eliyahu is a great man ad would never hurt someone intentionality,barucg hashem he had a great and very understanding judge,mr block may god bless you for seeing through all the lies
ch member
people, there are 2 sides to every story (sometimes 3) the people knew what they were doing. They benefited from not having the title on their name. He would have paid everyone back. The economy got in the way.
no yid, no matter what should have to sit in jail with a bunch of low lives.
To # 13
To # 13 could you please tell us the name of your friend , the judge said 3 family’s where actually living in the units for over fifteen years free of rent ,
and 10 more of the investors set Ezagui up so they could steal the rent from the 65 units Ezagui owns,
When the judge found out they were stealing the rent on the Ezagui units ,I’m quoting the judge he said the investors where a “bunch of Chazers” he also called them a bunch of “Ganoffs” when the prosecutor said but he gave out allot of charity and a million dollars to that temple, the judge said maybe I should consider it as a act of charity, which would reduce even more the time Ezagui’s would serve in jail , she continued but all those people that will lose their homes, the judge said don’t cry “Shiva” over them ,the prosecutor crouched into a fettle position and did not open here moth anymore,
The judge said the only ones who benefit from Ezagui’s wrong doing was the “Chazers” and “Ganoffs” the investors the option holders, and all the new development that poor people are now living in, not Ezagui himself the judge said ,it’s possible the judge saw things differently than the rest of us and punished Ezagui for too long a sentence , he said he’s punishing Ezagui with a very heavy hart, because of “Ma Yomro Hagoim”, I say this because I was there throughout the entire trial I know, the judge agreed to let Ezagui serve only 12 month in exchange for good behavior, before the judge left the stage he said, now I need to go home and drink a bottle of Menishevits.
to #13
WOW i am shocked but even more so, VERY SADDENED by your comments..how can you say this about another Jew? who says you speaking so disgustingly about a Jew, or any other sin any of us have done in our lives, isn’t worse then this? WE are not the judge and not to say what is worse, right, or wrong. I hope you think about this and change your views and if you are not willing to, then please get help or speak to your mashpia.
MOSHIACH NOW
Velamalshinim Al Tehi Sikva
We should all have great Kavana when we Daven Shmone Esre 3 times every day, in Birchas Velamalshinim, since this case was a result of a shamfull Mesira.
Yosef
Contrary to popular belife, Ezagui was NOT convicted of having wronged anyone resident of the community. The Judge made it clear the only reason he is being sentanced and the only real victim is the Bank and that is only for technical white lies on his morgage aplication.
What is Ezagui REALLY Guilty of?
Do we have such short memory?
We all remeber how this all started with a mesira article in the Daily News (in 2008) which painted him in a very bad light.
The News article then put presure on the DA to do “something”.
But Ezagui was not really guilty of stealing any condos as was claimed so what can the prsoecution do????
The answer to the prosecution was to keep diging untill you can come up with “something” or “aything”.
Anyone whom the prosecution wants to “hang” they can alwasy dig up some minor little crime to charge him with and then blow it out of propertion to inflate the crime as was done in the Rubashkin case,
Here is a very appropriate exammple which is very applicable in both the Ezagui case and in the Rubashkin case as follows:
* * * The Real Crime is Being Unpopular * * *
In a striking conclusion, the brief quoted a 1940 speech given by Justice Robert Jackson when he served as Attorney General, that describes the greatest danger of the abuse of prosecutorial power.
“His words are worth repeating here for they really refer to the [(Ezagui and the) Rubashkin] case,” Professor Ronald Rotunda wrote at the brief’s conclusion.
“’With the law books filled with a great assortment of crimes, a prosecutor stands a fair chance of finding at least a technical violation of some act on the part of almost anyone.
‘In such a case, it is not a question of discovering the commission of a crime and then looking for the man who has committed it. It is a question of picking the man and then searching the law books, or putting investigators to work, to pin some offense on him.
‘It is in this realm — in which the prosecutor picks some person whom he dislikes or desires to embarrass, and then looks for an offense, that the greatest danger of abuse of prosecuting power lies. “It is here that law enforcement becomes personal, and the real crime becomes that of being unpopular with the governing group.’”
–Robert Jackson, The Federal Prosecutor, Address Delivered at the Second Annual Conference of United States Attorneys, April 1, 1940 [Italics added].
a bissel KUSHER gelt...
Comparing Ezagui to Rubashkin is like comparing Eichmann to Dreyfus. Ezagui built buildings that are constructed worse than many a CH or Chabad House sukkah – and he hurt Yidden.
He is lucky he got 33 months. And don’t forget he was a total oisvorf with a ponytail until it paid for him to pretend to do tshuva and go around looking like Lipa Schmeltzer on the cover of the old album with Gelt.
You know..a bissel KUSHER gelt…
Milhouse
#31, what are you talking about? No families at risk?! The families are STILL in grave danger of being evicted from their homes.
#35, there was no messirah; did you really think a case could be proceeding in the civil courts and the newspapers wouldn’t find out?! How do you reckon he wasn’t guilty of stealing the condos? That’s exactly what he did. He sold the condos to people, refused to give them the deeds, and took out mortgages on them. Now the banks are trying to evict the owners, and they are likely to succeed chas vesholom. What do you call that if not stealing?
Yitzchok
Every time I come to a Chasuna or other public Simcha where food is served I always ask myslef this question:
“How do I really know this food is Kosher”?
I can’t imagine food being Kosher if the one in charge is a Moser.
To #31
Whaterver are uou talking about. He made deals with people to give them reduced prices if they could give him cash, Since there was no closing he never gave them deeds and kept the apartments in the names of his family, friends, etc and used that phony claim of ownership to re-finance the apartments he sold.
People who were promised a special deal will lnow probably wind up paying more than twice what they were promised by him
That qualifies him as a liar and shady characterr in my book.
story
Whayy dont you all finde out the reel story be fof pooting it up on the web and mak up a story just becuese you dislike him
Disgusted by the people that comment
For all you out there commenting get your facts straight!
THE JUDGE HIMSELF SAID THAT THE SO CALLED “VICTEMS”
GAINED IN THIS SITUATION…
THEY DID NOT LOOSE THEIR HOUSES..THEY CAME OUT PRETTY GOOD FROM THIS SITUATION.. AND ELIYAHU IS NOT BEING SENT TO JAIL BECAUSE OF THE EFFECT IT HAD ON THE PEOPLE IN THE APT.
he was found guilty due to issues with the bank.
THE JUDGE REPEATED THIS MANY TIMES!
and I repeat again..
NO ONE IS HOMELESS OR LOST their homes
THIS WAS A DIGUSTING CASE OF MESIRAH!
Eliyahu were praying for you!
PS the person that commented that their friend lost their house ..
it was not in eliyahus building cus noone lost their house.
Reuvein Yakov
2 damn damn bad he is a Big FAT THEIF. Sorry just cause u got a beard means you should be let out. Don’t think so. You do the crime u sit the time baby. Thats how it works dude. If any1 gives a penny 2 this so called pidyon shvuim they r a fool better 2 give it 2 the needy not a selfish bastard like him. Would he like it if we did it 2 him. Sorry he has major tshva 2 do. He better give every penny every penny back. Otherwise He is just another thief in jail. Have a good time in Jail Mr. Ezguei. Enjoy ur stay. Next time don’t be such a wise man.
justice
Can individuals sue him for thier losses when he gets out?
To # 51 - why don-t you NAME the Moser?
When it comes to NAME “the” Moser, suddenly we are all such big Tzadikim to be so carefull in “Loshon Hora”?
Why can everything be said about everyone in comments, but the name of a Moser can’t be spelled out?
Is it our policy that if someone is un-popular, then we have no problem identfying the name of the Moser but if he comes from the popular “respected” family in CH then we are afraid to spell out the name of “the” Moser?
Do we have Kavana when we Daven?
What does everyone think about when davening 3 times every day, in Shmone Esre, during the Bracha of Velamalshinim?
to #44
It’s great for ezagui that the judge bought that line of bull, but it is just bull. Someone paid him $120,000 cash for the unit, which he promised would be ownership, and then he turns around and accuses them of stealing the rent when they rent it out. And families that bought it to live in there are then accused of living “rent free.” What a joke!
The guy ran a pyramid scheme on the backs of the unsuspecting.
To # 58
I think about Mendy Hendel
go-d-s right hand man
well if the pyramid structure of yisro’s suggestion to mose’s exists mr. e. ezagui will most likely move up
it is hard to sympathize with any brooklynites,
what i heard during my time on eastern parkway is “live and learn is a blessing”
may all prisoners merit redemption asap ( of course my friends first )
eliyahu ezaqui-gonnif718
Everyone, please forgiveme for being a theif, liar, scoundrel— the drech of the drech.
the Rebbe naver gave me a broucha to steal or conceal information to conclue a honnest transaction. My key partner is my dad who i owe all my knowledge from. Joseph is his name..
i have no problem for HaShem punishing me for stealing with my right hand and then taking my son’s right arm.He’ll get over it.
as for the community- who cares. i’ll find a new one to scam.
p.s. send me some pork fried rice and spare ribs for yuntiff. and have them take my name off the wall at the aventura chabad so i can get my money back and transferred to the commisary. i love to eat.
BTW if u don’t support me i will convert to muslem where u can talk in the back.
u were all so ignorant i could not help myself from screwing you. it felt so good.. anyway, u all know i have no respect for u or my family. i screwed them too. who cares? life is short. steal what u can and move on…
awacs
I don’t often comment on the propriety of other folks’ comments, but #62 is a *little* over the top.