American Jewish leaders are expressing shock and outrage at the federal government’s recommendation that Sholom Rubashkin be sentenced to life in prison for his role as an executive with the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa. It is the latest example of a prosecution that has repeatedly targeted Rubashkin for unfair treatment compared to others who have been accused of employing illegal immigrants or compromising the security of a bank loan.
Supporters of Sholom Rubashkin are being urged to sign an online petition at the “Justice for Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin” Web page at http://justiceforsholom.org and call or e-mail Department of Justice Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison (202-514-3465 ; [email protected] and cc [email protected]), to protest the recommendations of life in prison for Sholom Rubashkin.
Those interested in assisting the “Equal Justice for Sholom Rubashkin” campaign, or in receiving call to action alerts should e-mail their contact info to [email protected], or text message ICARE to 347-948-JUST (5878).
Jewish rabbinic leaders have signed a proclamation, urging their Jewish brethren to contact the Justice Department on Rubashkin’s behalf, calling it a “sacred obligation of every individual to participate in this mitzvah.”
The sentencing recommendation submitted by prosecutors to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa is inconsistent with sentencing of other corporate executives convicted in comparable cases. For example, Mark Turkcan, an official First Bank, was recently convicted of bank fraud involving a loss of approximately $35 million, and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. And Cathy Gieseker was sentenced to nine years in prison for bilking 179 farmers out of more than $27 million. Her motive, unlike Rubashkin and Turkcan, was greed.
Rubashkin was originally indicted for employing illegal immigrants, an offense that has been punished with probation or a short prison term. After seven superseding indictments, prosecutors chose to proceed to trial on alleged bank fraud charges in an effort to increase Rubashkin’s punishment, even though interest was paid on all of the money drawn by the loan and the bank has acknowledged it received approximately $21 million in profit from the interest payments.
The bank loan was not paid in full because of the government’s raid on Agriprocessors, which caused the company to declare bankruptcy. The bank “called” the loan when Agriprocessors could not continue to make its payments. The May 2008 raid included a military style raid and more than 600 federal agents. It was widely criticized for the extreme tactics utilized by prosecutors and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The raid destroyed the company and had disastrous lasting effects on the community of Postville and the kosher meat industry.
Prosecutors and the U.S. Probation Office have calculated the total offense committed by Rubashkin at level 45 under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Because the federal Sentencing Table caps at level 43, the Probation Office has calculated the total offense at level 43. An offense level of 43 is punished with a life sentence under the sentencing guidelines, which the Supreme Court held as no longer mandatory.
Rubashkin’s attorneys have asked the court to impose a sentence no greater than 72 months, noting his positive history and character, his extraordinary family circumstances, and the arbitrary nature of the now-advisory guidelines used by prosecutors. They emphasize that Rubashkin’s conduct was not done for personal gain, that he did not intend any loss to the bank, and that a 72-month sentence would allow the Bureau of Prisons to place Rubashkin in a facility with experience in effectively and humanely incarcerating observant Jewish inmates.
In Rubashkin’s bank-fraud trial, prosecutors were allowed to present inflammatory evidence regarding the employment of illegal workers, even though the judge had previously ruled that such evidence would prejudice the jury and had severed the immigration and bank fraud charges for that reason. The charges regarding harboring illegal immigrants were eventually dropped.
Rubashkin supporters argue That prosecutors have subjected Rubashkin to more severe restrictions and potential punishment than other employers whose work premises were raided by ICE and who were found to have hired larger numbers of illegal workers. The country’s largest meatpacker, Swift & Company, was raided in six different states in December 2006, and almost 1,300 illegal immigrants were arrested. No corporate official of Swift & Company has been prosecuted. RCI, International, a restaurant janitorial service operating in 17 states, was raided in 63 locations in February 2007. Its owners, who paid their employees (all illegal immigrants) in cash, were found to have defrauded the United States of more than $18 million in taxes. Its chief operating officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The owner of a Massachusetts manufacturer of leather goods and handbags raided by ICE in March 2007, when 326 illegal immigrants were arrested, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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28 Responses
It seems to me that if this was a news item, it might tell us the names of the Rabbinical Leaders. The website doesn’t name any, either.
Wow
Nice Jefferey Skilling barely getting 24 years, Andrew Fastow 6 years even Kenneth Lay would of gotten 30 years max. etc for stealing million and living thousands without any retirement, but Rubashkin gets life for some trumped up immigration charges that every corporation in this country is guilty of. Call that injustice…..
I think it’s ridiculous to send in a petition where people have signed it “name withheld.” The whole point of a petition is to put your name to a request. The people who are doing this thing should delete all anonymous signatures, which just make it look like people don’t stand behind their request.
I am also wondering the same thing as #1. What rabbinical leaders are protesting? Are other movements standing behind him?
The article implies but does not state that
this is caused by antisemitism as one of the main causes.
The other cause they do not even mention or imply at all is the “animal rights” wackos who think all meat eating should be totally banned.
Also if it is such a serious crime to have illegal aliens that they needed a raid that destroyed the business, how come the same leftist government is planning on giving them amnesty and taxing us at gun point, to give them free health care in the failing economy, that they caused?
From the NY Times online;
First paragraph;
Obama to Push Immigration Bill as One Priority Sign in to Recommend
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LinkedinDiggFacebookMixxMySpaceYahoo! BuzzPermalink By JULIA PRESTON
Published: April 8, 2009
While acknowledging that the recession makes the political battle more difficult, President Obama plans to begin addressing the country’s immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.
I forgot to ad that once they “become legal” then of course they must be given free health care under the plan to “insure all of us”.
It’s not just Obama. The whole US is turning against us.
Only one man doesn’t get it. Our PM Netanyahu. He still insists on insulting every friend we ever had.
Netanyahu wants to incite and tease the US and all of our friends into being even more mean to us; then he will blame them for our problems. He’s sacrificing Israel for his own gaiva.
The leftist government that felt the need for a raid that destroyed the business was George Bush’s.
The current leftist government suspended the policy of conducting workplace raids two months after they got into office.
We need to daven to the Ribono Shel Olam for Sholom Mordechai Halevi ben Rivka. It’s the only answer. I hope the Rabbanim will make a Yom Tefila for him and other Yiddishe prisoners.
I know Mr. Rubashkin quite well. This should not be a problem for him. He always told us that he could deal with anything and everything and he did. However, if I understand correctly, his attorneys are now claiming that he has a mental illness. Well, I wish him all the best as well as a refuah shelaima.
I heard about the claim of mental illness. He says that he suffers from a depressive disorder. That could probably be said of about half of this country, so I don’t know that the court will sympathize. But I guess you never know — I’m often surprised by outcomes in cases.
I also don’t know what his son’s condition has to do with anything, as so many people might say that his son’s condition and needing him would have been even more of an incentive to follow the law to the letter. But I do understand lawyers and they have to use everything they can.
I guess we’ll see what happens.
I CAN’T TAKE ALL THE BALONEY. THIS IS A CLEAR-CUT CASE OF DISCRIMINATORY PROSECUTION, TOTALLY OUT OF LINE WITH NORMAL SENTENCING GUIDELINES FOR CASES OF THIS SORT–I CALL IT ANTI-SEMITISM, BECAUSE IT CLEARLY IS.
BSD
Why isn’t agriprocessors suing peta for illegally entering their facilities, taking pictures w/out company permission, etc. they get away with anything and everything – companies all over the USA feel their rath, yet none ever attempt to counter sue peta for their damage. If I were a Rubashkin, I would sue peta even if it doesn’t add up to any kind of fine – the mere fact that someone, some company finally stands up to them, and tells the truth about them, and lets the Country know that peta is nothing more than a bunch of thugs hiding behind a tree – the publicity against peta, even if agri lost, is worth it’s time in gold. peta never answers to any authority. go after them now, let them speak in court, let everyone see how dispicable they really are. Rubashkin doesn’t want to do it alone – so gather together a few additional companies and make it a class action suit against peta. the more involved, the better the chances of winning against them. go for jugular, here, and why not, they appear to be doing the same to the Rubashkins.
BSD
Just like number 1 and number 4 – it would be nice if the writer of this article also published the names of the Rabbis “endorsing” this. Otherwise, it is nothing more than one man’s opinion against another. Please share w’ us the Rabbonim – and they want to keep their names out of it, they shouldn’t be making declarations that will affect Jews all of the USA and especially R’ Rubashkin. They need to be up front or keep clear of this argument.
Yes, Open borders Bush, was a leftist.
But if Obama was so interested in justice RE these raids, then he should have pardoned anyone persecuted, by them.
I do not see him lifting a finger to do that, especially for ‘the Jew’.
I think the “going after PETA” thing would be a mistake. PETA isn’t the only one who has criticized the factory in terms of animal treatment. That would just be brought out in court. I think even Temple Grandin (who is famous for being Autistic and helping to design more humane tools for animal slaughterhouses) has said stuff about the place. Better to just ignore that issue, in my opinion.
I do think that all of this hoopla might hurt more than help. Nothing hurts a case like this more than people screaming anti-Semitism. Naturally, this is a great insult to the court that has already convicted him, the court that will determine his sentence.
I think these things should be left to the lawyers. They know how to proceed and what to use and not to use in a court of law.
YWN, you edit these posts anyway!! so why don’t you find out who these “great rabbis” are that have called for this open chilul hashem to continue. If you can’t verify your facts don’t print them. You are worst than Arutz Sheva, at least they admit they are just printing their own opinion.
I do not know who singled out PETA I said Animal rights types in general.
The ASPCA and Humain Society are anti constitution, terrorists, just like PETA.
I don’t see anyone bringing up the union connection to this.
What, hereorthere? The Humane Society and ASPCA = terrorism? Anti-Constitution? Did they also kill Kennedy?
These are organizations that fight puppy mills and endorse spaying and neutering. How they became terrorists is just…
What else would you classify as terrorist? Habitat for Humanity? AARP? American Heart Association? Autism Speaks?
You don’t think much of charitable organizations or do-gooders in general, do you?
Sickandtired
Their members all support those who post things on message boards and blogs that demand that anyone accused of abuse of animals specifically not be given any trials, and that them and their family all be slaughetred they post things like “smash their heads against the wall till their brains splatter all over the place”.
Do you support that?
Did you also support Pol Pot and Stalins death camps in siberia?
And there is nothing worng with raising puppies to sell, that is fake phony lies and propaganda to claim otheerwise and Halacha forbids spaying and neutering.
You don’t think much of Torah and Halacha do you?
If you would not want your self mutilated that way what makes you thing is it so “humain” to do to an animal?
And how about all those people who are murdered and the criomes not investigated fully because the cops needed to do it are sent out to some old womans home to take away her cats to be killed in some “shelter” because state law says she “has too many”?
I’ll bet you would be against someone comming into someones home and telling them they are forbidden from having abortions (get the government out of my bedroom) but would be all for such invasion of privacy, to tell them what they may and may not do with their animals on THEIR property.
All this hogwash is totally unconstitutional and you seem not to care about freedom or the Constitution either.
And I forgot to mention the antisemitism of these Animal wrongs types.
On so many blogs one after the other, they blame the Jews ror all animals abuse.
In the comments, on one youtube video, they started posting against Jews and saying how “evil” all Jews are, and the video had nothing to with Jews
but radical “animal rights” =antisemite.
I have seen the proof way too many times.
I don’t care what loons post on blogs. Don’t get me started about what loony things Jews say on blogs. I’ve donated and been involved with several of these groups, and trust me, this is not what the groups espouse.
I can’t respond to the rest of your post because after that you started to ask if I support Pol Pot and I knew we were going off the deep end.
I’ll just cut to the chase and answer the questions I assume you asked:
Yes, I eat babies, especially Jewish ones.
Yes, I have a secret trap door in my back yard where I trap little kids and then I make a cholent out of them.
Yes, I hate everything good and love everything evil in the world.
hereorthere, I have to thank you. Yours may be my favorite YWN posts of all time. And I just love that it’s on a public news site.
Sickandtired
They don’t admit in public that they ARE the loons who post that on blogs.
Lets see you find one single one who will say such loons on the blogs are totally evil and use those exact words.
Nor will you find a single one of these AR wackos who will say yes the animal rights laws are unconstitutional and constitute an unconscionable
invasion of privacy.
And the Pol Pot Question was direct response to yours about “Habitat for Humanity? American Heart Association? Autism Speaks?”
So if you do things a certain way don’t complain when you get the same type of response.
Either accept it or don’t do it yourself.
And as for putting things publically on a website
wow your last few lines are astounding, to say the least.
But you were the one who said it, not me.
#24 –
hereorthere, I have to thank you. Yours may be my favorite YWN posts of all time. And I just love that it’s on a public news site.
Comment by Sickandtired
Could’ve fooled me.
Gee, if you’re the guys that are fighting for Sholom Rubashkin I wish him the best of luck.
Oh, and mw13, I’ll let you know which discussion interests me next. Because I know you’ll want to follow me there again. I’m flattered, believe me, but you should know that I’m married.