A synagogue janitor has been sentenced to one year in jail in connection with the theft of eight Torahs and their sterling silver adornments worth more than $100,000.
The Torahs were stolen from a locked room inside of the (Conservative) Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills sometime between Aug. 9-16, 2008 (as reported HERE on YWN).
Eric Giraldo, 24, formerly of 71-25 Main St., Kew Gardens Hills, pleaded guilty last month to third-degree attempted grand larceny and was sentenced by Supreme Court Justice Dorothy Chin-Brandt to one year in jail.
The judge also issued an eight year order of protection barring Giraldo from visiting the Temple, where he lived while employed as janitor.
Prosecutors said that the Temple’s eight Torahs – which were kept locked and secured at the Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills – were found to be missing on Aug. 16, 2008. The defendant admitted taking the Torahs and storing them at the home of his friend, Alan Lozano.
Lozano, 28, of 165-09 Union Turnpike, in Queens, pleaded guilty to petit larceny last month and, at the same time, was sentenced to 40 days of community service.
According to the criminal case, it was Giraldo’s intention to sell the Torahs for his own personal financial gain. They were recovered from a closet in Lozano’s home.
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5 Responses
Eight sefri Torah plus the silver is worth only $100,000??? That might be what they paid for it 50 years ago.
too bad..now those por sifrei torah have to be mocked again in the presence of prutzos and female ‘rabbis’. I think the goy would have treated it better.
#2…. you are a sick person how dare you judge anyone, you have no right… because of you there is so much tension in our religion its so sick the way you think the way you look down at other jews, and there is no reason that this web site has to say it was a conservative shul… a shul is a shul and a jew is a jew thats it. The moshaich will not come till you start to love every jew…. hashem should have mercy on you.
Matisyohu28, Well said.
2 and 4, please elaborate on how a goy would treat them better.