Prosecutors have added wire and mail fraud charges to the slew of allegations against former Agriprocessors executive Sholom Rubashkin, according to a seventh federal indictment filed today.
The new, 163-count indictment adds nine mail-fraud charges to the allegations against Rubashkin, and 14 counts of wire fraud.
Prosecutors allege that the former Postville meat-packing executive requested by fax advances on a $35 million bank loan. The requests were based on false information that was sent to the plant’s largest lender, First Bank Capitol of St. Louis, according to the indictment.
Government lawyers also allege that Agriprocessors mailed false financial reports to the bank, in violation of federal law. Each new charge carries a maximum 30-year prison sentence and a $1 million fine if Rubashkin is convicted.
“This is unprecedented,” said Rubashkin’s attorney, Guy Cook. “From Mr. Rubashkin’s perspective, it confirms the overreaching by the government.”
Cook said he will likely ask U.S. District Judge Linda Reade to postpone the trial in light of the new charges. Rubashkin will plead not guilty to the charges, “whether it’s one count or 163 counts,” Cook said.
(Source: Des Moines Register)
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The U.S. Attorney’s offices pose a lethal hazard for any U.S. citizen who becomes a target “of interest.” They can indict anyoen in america, if they so choose, on any one or a combination of trumped-up charges.
In a recent article, the author explained that Federal assistant prosecutors in the office where he worked used to play a game at lunchtime.
They selected one person and then demonstrated how many different charges could be brought against him by stretching and reinterpreting the applicable laws.
Just exactly what is “wire and mail fraud?” These are amorphous charges that can mean anything at all.
But, meaningless as they are, the poor victim, Rubashkin, has to pay an expensive lawyer to defend him against each and every phoney charge dreamed-up by the game-players in the lunchroom of the U.S Attorney’s office.
#2, I really don’t mind if someone takes my attention away from the chilul hashem taking place in Yerushalayim.
You all know why this has all come down crashing upon him! It’s because they refused to take on the hechsher of the conservative movement named hechsher tzedek! (Grammatically it should be capitalized but I simply can’t!) You see why we’ve added in the 19th bracha in Shmoneh Esray! Reshaim Gemoorim!
Poor Shalom Mordechai! The good that he, his parents and siblings have done for us all, so that every Jew in every corner of the U.S. can have quality Kosher poultry and beef, Oy HaShem Yeracheim! They are clearly scapegoats for all of our aveiros, r”l.
May they be zoche to the Geula Amitis amongst us all!
Would they please stop looking for ways to make him more problems than he already has???