Iowa Independent

R. Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin (L) sitting next to his father R. Aaron Rubashkin at a Colel Chabad Dinner.

POSTVILLE, IA — Federal prosecutors have arrested Sholom Rubashkin, former chief executive officer and vice president at Agriprocessors and son of company founder Aaron Rubashkin, on a criminal complaint that alleges the man conspired in immigration-related offenses.

Sholom Rubashkin, Arrested

Iowa Independent

R. Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin (L) sitting next to his father R. Aaron Rubashkin at a Colel Chabad Dinner.

POSTVILLE, IA — Federal prosecutors have arrested Sholom Rubashkin, former chief executive officer and vice president at Agriprocessors and son of company founder Aaron Rubashkin, on a criminal complaint that alleges the man conspired in immigration-related offenses.

The criminal complaint is the first against any high-level member of Agriprocessors management and comes in the wake of a massive May 12 immigration raid at the plant. In all, 389 workers — nearly half the plant’s workforce — was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

According to documents filed with the court, Rubashkin “did knowingly conspire, confederate and agree with others, for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain, to harbor one or more aliens at his place of employment in Postville, Iowa, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that such aliens had come to, entered and remained in the United States and aided and abetted the possession and use of fraudulent identification documents and aided and abetted aggravated identity theft.”

According to Michael Fischels, a special agent with the Dept. of Homeland Security, dozens of fraudulent permanent resident alien cards were discovered and seized from offices within the human resources department at Agriprocessors during the May 12 raid.

“Most of the cards were attached to application paperwork dated May 11 or May 12, 2008,” Fischels wrote in the affidavit filed with the court. “Additional resident alien cards were groups in stacks and not attached to any paperwork. Based upon common features, ICE agents determined that the vast majority of the fraudulent resident alien cards came from the same manufacturer. Out of approximately 96 fraudulent resident alien cards, approximately 90 exhibited alien registration numbers which were then assigned to other actual persons.”

Fischels added that approximately 13 of the cards taken from the offices had photographs of people known to be working at the plant prior to May 11. All but two of the cards, however, “exhibited names which were different than the names the employees had been working under.”

The fraudulent resident alien cards are crucial to the case the government is making against Rubashkin because they are a physical link to claims made by former employees that Rubashkin provided $4,500 in cash as a loan to employees who could not afford to update their falsified documents.

The former plant supervisors, who remain unidentified in the affidavit, allegedly met with Rubashkin near the barn area on the Agriprocessors’ grounds on May 8 and asked for $4,500 to help employees slated for termination purchase new fraudulent documents. According to court documents, Rubashkin provided the supervisors the money in cash the following morning.

The unidentified supervisor, who worked in the beef-kill area, in turn presented employees in that department with $200 each as a loan so the employees could purchase the new documents from a different plant foreman, who was arranging for the purchase of the falsified documents. The documents for 39 or 40 employees were brought to the plant on May 11 by the foreman and distributed by the foreman and the unnamed supervisor.

An unidentified human resources employee is quoted in the affidavit as saying that s/he was personally asked by Sholom Rubashkin to process a large number of new employee applications on May 11. This same employee suspected that the new applicants were the employees slated for termination the previous Friday, and also identified at least one of the applicants as such.

Rubashkin will make an initial appearance in federal court for the Northern District of Iowa this afternoon. Requests for comment from Agriprocessors spokespersons have not yet garnered a response.

Readers are requested to please say Tehillim for Sholom Mordechai HaLevi ben Rivkah.

The world is relying on him for Kashrus and Tzedoka. May all the good he has done be a z’chus and protect him from all harm. May we hear besuros tovos bikarov mamash and may we see tovah hanirah vihaniglah right now.

43 Comments

  • family freind

    Sholom has a heart of GOLD please say tehillim.

    please keep back negitive feedback

  • me

    This is terrible news! its not only Rubashkin that is at risk here….look at all the yidden that relies on their parnassah in iowa!
    pray for the community too!

  • eli pinson

    veryone should please say Tehillim for Sholom Mordechai HaLevi ben Rivkah!

    The world is relying on him for Kashrus and Tzedoka. May all the good he has done be a z’chus and protect him from all harm.

    May we hear besuros tovos bikarov mamash and may we see tovah hanirah vihaniglah right now.

  • Milhouse

    So what it comes down to is that some of his workers came to him for help, and he gave them a gemach so they could give him new papers and he wouldn’t have to fire them. Sounds like a mitzvah to me. In fact it sounds very like what R Mendel Futerfas sat for.

    Of course he would have had a very strong suspicion that the new papers were no better than the old ones, but it wouldn’t be his business to check. So long as the papers could be genuine, he’s entitled to rely on them.

  • Sammy

    its sad thet he had to be the governments korban. Im sure PETA was directly involved too. My heart goes out to the wonderful Rubashkin family!

  • cher

    If anyone has nasty comments, please don’t post it. Now is not the time. We need to stand by our fellow yid, and daven and give tzedakkah, not say lashon hara and judge. Especially if you don’t know what you’re talking about!

  • With Them

    EVERYONE should pray on their behalf.
    May this all go away very quickly with positive results.

    They are a kind & wonderful family that the frum (chabad) world needs!!!!

    Hashem Yirachem!!!

  • Business/Religion 101

    It is good to remember that g-d runs the world with codes of law.
    The ten commandments are written two times to teach the law there and the law there isn’t neccessarily the same.
    Israel doesn’t have one code of law yet as it will when moshiach espouses the new torah
    i can go on and on
    The USA isn’t beyond anything and it is unfortunate that a great man and company are the examples of a lesson
    that is to be applied without discrimination to any company for the USA is to protect it’s citizens and it’s markets rights to the best of it’s abilities.

  • erg

    today is my yom uledes MAZALI GOVER i will be in a few hours by the hoel i will daven fro the all family rubaskin….erg

  • Thiking of the Rubashkin s

    Our thoughts and prayers are with the amazing Rubashkin family..

  • Rivkah

    Hashem protect the Rubashkin family.
    I believe this is purely a “lets get the jew” story, G-d help us all!
    Moshiach NOW

  • A concerned mother

    At a crisis time like this around the kitchen table with kosher food under attack, and a bad economy (check out prices on chalav yisrael yogurt) we should remember Vice President Pellin.

    This is one more reason why we should vote for Sarah Pellin for vice president. Pellin understands what it means to have a large family, and the price of food. I am told that in Alaska, chicken has to be imported and can cost as much as kosher chicken cost in New York.

    Sarah Pellin understands the hardships of big families – tuition, buying clothing, feeding them all – milchig, fleishig – and Shabbos meals. Also, Melave Malka.

    And, Sarah Pellin has a child that’s artistic. She understands special needs. She will do more for after school programs, like Tzivos Hashem and Mesibos Shabbos.

    And will make sure that children that are at risk, of fall on cracks, and other special needs, should be given special attention and taken care of.

    And she respects the newborn.(She’s a soon to be bubby).

    So even if you vote for Obama as president, vote for her as vice president. Remember, Zayin Mitzvos Bnei Noach begins at home. Like charity.

    And she’s Jewish. Maybe.

  • So upset!

    I hate to talk because I am not an organizer, I wish people from all over would fly over to make the biggest protest ever! Please Hashem!

  • Ima Hear

    While true that this is no time to say anything not good about Rubashkin, untrue or otherwise, to say “The world is relying on him for Kashrus and Tzedoka” is a bit much. We rely on H’ and not on bosar v’ dom for our livelihoods. Or was the author trying to say the Rubashkins are …?

    Rubashkin will have to defend himself against the criminal charges. Most of us can only testify to his great good deeds and charachter OUTSIDE of the specific activities he is accused of. I personally, plan to keep Kosher and continue to give Tzdoka regardless of the outcome of the charges against Mr. Rubashkin, he sould live and be well.

  • Esther

    May Hashem protect the Rubaskkin family and give them strength to go endure. My prayers and heart goes out to them.

  • Daniel

    I live in Postville.

    Remember that:

    1) This arrest comes strategically before next week’s elections, to the benefit of local, statewide, and national candidates on both sides.

    2) The United Commercial Food Workers union in collusion with media and social-action forces have agitated for the anti-Agriprocessors, anti-kashrus, and anti-Torah climate here in Iowa. They have pushed the situation way beyond the bounds of normalcy.

    Do not be deceived by the noise the world makes. Do not forget . . . Ein Od Milvado!

  • To a concerned mother:

    Please tell me you are joking.

    And learn to spell: it’s PALIN, not PELLIN and AUTISTIC, not ARTISTIC.

  • dont forget

    just remember “tracht gut, vet zayn gut” with hashems help it will all work out iy”h

  • tzirl

    Concerned mother and To a concerned mother: Sarah Palin’s child has Down’s syndrome and I have not heard anything about a child of hers that is autistic. The post is probably a joke since it is obviously impossible to vote separately for Pres and VP.
    Daniel, it is a miracle that Jews have lasted in Postville for this long. It was somewhat of an experiment as to what would happen if a group of religious Jews would plunk themselves down in a little town in the middle of nowhere. For awhile it appeared to be working but this is a real setback to the possibility of frum Jews building communities far from large cities.
    May our tefillos be with the Rubashkin family in their hour of need.

  • me myself and i

    Well since everything has to be conected to the elections…

    Im gona vote for Obama

    this way the housing market will crash and ill finnaly afford a house, and i guess only my wife and kids will enjoy it bc ill have to be in Israel fighting a war for our land…
    same with rubashkin

    if he goes does not pull through this all of us are gona have too work very very hard not only to pay for the meat we need to eat

    but we are gona have to pay 1000s of bucks more for our yeshivas for own kids and other kids, plus we will have to reach out to chabad houses around the world help them and just help our fellow neighbor down the block with the basics
    why? bc non everyone knows but the rubashkin family, have done so much chessed and good and have supported chabad and jews around the world…

  • Petition

    The wheel of fortune turns quickly. We should all have the Rubashkins in our prayers – and is there anything we can do?

  • blah

    and u cant vote for obama as president and palin as vice president, concerned mother

  • Paul Freedman

    I am a secular Jew but wish nobody any harm. However, I do not think this is an act of anti-Semitism. Posters should be aware that the authorities are also charging the former management with condoning the manufacture in the human resources offices of Agriprocessors of false documents so that they as managers could financially gain from the labor of workers who should not be in this country at all. I do not understand from the charges what the government is alleging, and cannot make sense of the details, but that’s what I know.

  • Mushka

    Hey…anyone home,wakeup!
    WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE’S LIVES HERE!

    NOT PALIN OR OBAMA!!!

  • Just a fellow Lubavitcher

    To the Rubashkin Family,

    You have been so unfairly targeted and prosecuted for the past few months.

    My heart is with your family.

    You are incredible people who have done so much good.

    May Hashem show you only hatov hanireh vhanigleh.

    Chazak Vematz. Besuros Tovos!

    We are with you!

  • soheyla Amrami

    soheyla and kurosh wrote;

    We are praying for you and your beautiful family who has been there for all the lubavithers all over, it time for us to ralley behind them and voice our concern to this byest goverment ,that we will not stand and will fight to take him out soon and please remember all the mitzvas that this family has done , its time to pay them back now, mosheach now.

  • To Concerned Mother: Palin NOT Jewish

    To Concerned Mother
    Gov. Sarah Palin (not Pellin) is NOT Jewish. If you missed it, she belongs to an Evangelical(sect of Christians who believe it is their obligation to make Everyone a Christian)Pentecostal Church who’s Pastor casts out demons, and like Palin believs the Apocalypse is near. Gov. Palin believes that the finalcial crisis was “caused by the Israelites who control the banks..” and that “we need good Christians to run the banks, so this won’t happen again..” I could go on about how crazy and uniquely unqualified she is for the job she has now let alone VP, but maybe you should read up on that on your own time. How you managed to turn this post into a political ad for this candidate is beyond comprehension; let alone that you think she would be concerned about the needs of Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn or anywhere else.
    You clearly need a lesson in basic government as well if you believe that the vote for President and Vice President are seperate; the are not of course. You get one vote for the President and Vice Presidental candidates of your choice.
    You have every right and further your duty is to vote your beliefs and concious, but please don’t try to convince anyone of these outright lies about a candidate who’s facts are a matter of record.
    PS: It is the blatant lies of the GOP that got us where we are today, and they have continued in this ugly campaign. Gov. Palin also believes that “Alaska will be a place of refuge in the End Times..”, maybe you should think about moving there; I’m sure they’d be happy to convert you.

  • postville resident

    you’re behind the times, B“H the tehillim has worked already. he is B”H released. hodu la’hashem ki tov!!

  • yankel

    ok sholom mordechi is out of jail on a bond
    i was just thinking how strong is our federal Government in the last 7 years thy stop teror in the world took over iraq cought bin laden and the taliban .

    and finaly thy get rubashkin on a $4500 loan
    wow

  • bite your tounge

    just an interesting ‘side note’ for any who are interested.. accusing or otherwise:
    the 9,000 allegations involve ..guess how many individuals? no more than 33.

    till you know the inside story, dont judge.

  • Kelly K.

    to “a concerned mother”:
    i certainly hope you’re joking.
    i agree with “mushka” : this is not a time to be speaking about politics, even though b”h he was freed

  • Eliyahu Ben Avrohom

    Brothers, Sisters, why do we have to start an argument amongst ourselves and then to top it off inject politics into it. Though I am of the opinion that we should all follow the laws of the land where we happen to be at the time, I also believe that there is a time and place for everything. This is the place to support the Rubashkin family. Let us not give fuel to our detractors. If we do not have kind words and prayers for them and the community as a whole we should keep our sentiments to ourselves or take it somewhere else. As a “great” man once said, “Why can’t we all just get along”? Say tehillim for the Rubashkin’s AND for the rest of our community.

  • JDB

    If it wasn’t Jews involved, the lefties would make a banquet honoring a man who ha done so much to help migrant works put food on the table.

  • Sherree Belsky (cousin)

    Do we not have a case here for a Class action law suit against PETA and the Union for Antisemitism, lack of available kosher meat distibution, rise in cost and pricing, going after our religious practices, etc. WHERE LITERALLY MILLIONS OF JEWS CAN SIGN ON AND FIGHT PETA AND THE UNION TO BACK DOWN which can cause the government to back down and look at this as a conspiracy case against the Rubashkin family?

    Are there any attorneys out there that can research this concept?

  • Oberon123

    These men are complete filth and yet people defend them. The torture of the poor animals they murdered is blatant, and yet there are clowns here who attack PETA instead. It’s a sad day when such behavior is excused as antisemitism.

  • Stam Jew

    Shalom to All!

    While I sympathize with the family of Mr. Rubashkin, I can’t help but to think of all the other Jews who have been in the spotlight lately for “alleged” crimes. Both religious and non-religious. To me, it’s definitely a sign of the times. Hey fellow Jews, the writing is on the wall. It’s just as much a chillul Hashem to commit crimes against goyim as it is to cover it up and pretend like nothing happened. From Brooklyn rabbis being arrested for money and human organ trafficking, child molestation allegations, and most notably-Madoff. We are living in galut folks! Let’s not forget that! We know antisemitism is real and that the goyim hate us. Let’s try and do our part with some REAL tikkun olam. Let’s stay out as much as possible of the public eye by acting like the righteous Jews Hashem wants us to be.