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Rubashkin’s Attorneys Ask for No More than 6 Years

Des Moines Register

Lawyers for former eastern Iowa slaughterhouse executive Sholom Rubashkin asked a judge Friday to sentence their client to no more than six years in prison.

Rubashkin’s legal team argued in court papers that the former Postville meat plant officer “lost his way” and did not personally profit from a fraud scheme and use of illegal immigrant workers at Agriprocessors Inc.

Rubashkin was convicted in November of 86 fraud-related crimes for his part in a scheme to falsify bank and sales records. Prosecutors had charged him with 91 counts including bank, mail and wire fraud, false statements to a bank, and failing to pay cattle providers in the time required by law.

Agriprocessors Inc. was the site of a May 2008 immigration raid that led to the arrest of 389 illegal workers. The plant slipped into bankruptcy but emerged under new ownership as Agri Star.

Prosecutors indicated in December that they would recommend a 21- to 27-year prison term for Rubashkin.

The suggested sentence — which a judge can accept or ignore — is based on federal guidelines that consider the number of victims, Rubashkin’s specific role in the crime and other factors.

U.S. District Chief Judge Linda Reade has set a two-day sentence hearing for Rubashkin on April 28 and 29 in Cedar Rapids. Rubashkin has been held without bond in the Linn County Jail.

In court papers, defense lawyers said Rubashkin has lived a life of “selfless contributions to both the Jewish community and the greater community at large.”

His attorneys also pointed to an online petition with 16,000 names that asks for a “compassionate and merciful sentence.”

“He didn’t rob, steal or cheat anyone,” said defense lawyer Guy Cook. “It’s not a bank robbery. It was motivated by honoring his father, which is a big part of his religion . . . and trying to keep his father’s business afloat.”

The U.S. attorneys who prosecuted Rubashkin argued at trial that the 51-year-old’s religion and past charity work were irrelevant to his charges. They also disputed Rubashkin’s claims that he was an incompetent manager who was unaware of the fraud and illegal immigrant work force.

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9 Comments

  • do somthing that will work

    It’s about time they do somthing that makes a bit of sens (even thogh I dont think the court will listen, but I sure hope so)

  • Mendy Katz

    Shame on Lubavitch. Shame on the American Jewish public. A frume Chasidishe yungerman who dedicated his life to the Rebbe, to his shluchim and to the Rebbe’s mission is about to be sentenced to life in prison for sending a few inflated invoices to a bank and no one cares. Not one Lubavitcher Rov, Askan, or Leader has come out openly to Support Sholom Mordechai. I thought the Jewish people learnt something from the Holocust and would no longr go like Lambs to the Slaughter but I guess not . Time to move to Israel . At leat the IDf drops a few bombs every time the Arabs kill a Jew Lo Oleinu.

  • chaim

    To Mendy Katz

    Its very easy to say, shame on Lubavitch etc were are the askanim. what you dont know is how for years the would be Askanim have been lending millions of dollars to the rubashkins based on false financial comapny information. millions have been lost, just like Madoff. how many of Madoff’s victims are coming out for him…not many better yet none at all. Many people were hurt and therefore are not jumping into the ring. they will sign a petition because nobody wants to see someone go to jail. However supporting shluchim etc with OPM is very easy to do. But when the dust settles and the OPM is gone and people have to pull their lives back together and in some cases realize that their life savings are gone then the cards are a little different.

  • a persian jew who loves rubashkin family

    If this would happen to a muslim,they would have done so much that the court would have let the muslim go ,but we jews are so quite and scared to make a noise that a chased of rebbe is haveing all this assara,shame on us.

  • Giraffe

    Chaim,

    “… Askanim have been lending millions of dollars to the rubashkins based on false financial comapny information…”

    who are you writing about? the “would be askanim” that I know of gave money without looking at papers.

    Rubashkin helped Lubavither Shluchim all across the US there are countless stories… I think its time for them to return the gesture in a more vocal manner.

    “…people have to pull their lives back together…”
    I think you should start a fundto help these ppl.

  • To Chaim

    to chaim

    you are so off base. its freaky.

    such false and dangerous slander.

    every person that signed the petition signed just that. the petition.

    not your sick interpretation of their intentions.

    may g-d have mercy on all of us, moshiach now.

    do all you can. don’t under estimate the power of one more signature.

    http://www.thepetitionsite….