The seven-woman, five-man jury in the trial of Sholom Rubashkin returned this evening returned guilty verdicts in 86 of the 91 fraud charges he faced.
Lawyers had closed their cases Monday with clashing portraits of the former executive of the Agriprocessors meat plant in eastern Iowa.
Prosecutors painted Rubashkin as the ringleader of an enormous fraud and immigrant-harboring scheme that festered at the plant for years. Defense lawyers said the charges stemmed from overzealous prosecutors who failed to prove their allegations.
UPDATE: Jurors declared Rubashkin guilty of bank fraud, making false statements to a bank, wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering and aiding of abetting.
The jury found him not guilty of five counts of violating a law requiring payment of livestock providers within 24 hours.
Rubashkin’s attorney, Guy Cook, said they will appeal the decision.
Rubashkin, 50, was immediately taken into custody. As he was led out of the courtroom, he blew a kiss to his family and well-wishers.
A federal judge will sentence Rubashkin Nov. 18 in Cedar Rapids.
Rubashkin had been offered a plea deal by federal prosecutors prior to the start of the trial, but told supporters that he would not accept because he was innocent, a close family friend told The Des Moines Register today.
Rubashkin still faces 72 immigration-related federal charges as well as state allegations that he violated child labor laws. The federal immigration trial is set to begin in December in Sioux Falls.
Agriprocessors Inc. was the site of a May 2008 immigration raid that led to the arrest of 389 immigrant workers. Rubashkin was first charged in late October 2008, but insisted that he was innocent.
(Source: Des Moines Register / David Livyoson)
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77 Responses
Oy nebbich.May HKBH give him kochos.
You should have written “complete details to follow in this HEART-BREAKING story”
They are always out to get us….. one day real justice will rule, May hashem bless this holy man!
Hashem Yirachaim!
#2: Who is always out to get us? And who is us? Rubashkin received a fair trial, and you paint this as persecution of Jews? Wake up and smell the coffee.
To #3. Maybe Hashem is trying to tell us not to STEAL and do ILLEGAL “stuff”. I am sick of ALL of you who defended this fellow as if he is 100% innocent! The jury says he is guilty and only HASHEM knows the truth. Some of you CLAIM to believe in Hashem but when something like this happens you hope hashem will work his magic. Hashem has spoken, GUILTY!!!! WAKE UP EVERYBODY THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!!
He had a fair trial. Were this a non-Jew, no one here would say the trial was unfair.
Every factory in the us has illegal workers, why did they raid this plant? I dont denny that stuff was going on but i ask why this plant and how much did he really know what was going on…. only g-d knows
#1) He should have accpeted the plea #2)He should have taken his entire family and skipped town #3) There are murderers and rapists freely walking the streets – people who have done physical harm to others – and they get off, sometimes more than once, with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Go figure!! Our system is definitely messed up….
#9: “Every factory in the us has illegal workers”. Your gross generalizations are boring me to tears. Don’t you realize your absurd comments are viewed publicly?
#11,
Perhaps you need to go somewhere more exciting then, than the dry facts. Yes, with few exceptions, every factory in the US has illegal employees.
#13: And I’m certain you have facts and figures to substantiate that ludicrous statement.
PEOPLE!
Yes, it’s painful to see a frum yet locked up (and having it publicized), regardless of guilt. However, it’s more painful to see other frum yidden to cry “oy, they’re out to get us”. They are out to get everybody, anytime someone (or some nation) succeeds you have people who become jealous and want your downfall. Do not scream the trial was fixed, do not scream anti semitism. He may very well be guilty. He has done many good and noble deeds, of that I am sure, but so so many frum yidden do wonderful things and do “not such wonderful things”. You want to schrei for his family and friends that they may have to visit him in jail for a while that’s one thing. BUT you are not privy to the facts, (neither am I). But the nature of the crimes at hand are not far fetched to believe that he can justify committing. Yes, ICE may have been out to get him for a crime many companies commit, but thats a risk you take when you commit these crimes (again, I’m not saying he did).
Bottom line: Don;t commit a crime whenever possible.
NEBACH!!!
mylogic37, HOW DO YOU TALK LIKE THAT ABOUT A TZADIK WHO HIS WHOLE LIFE GAVE HUGE SUMS OF MONEY TO TZEDAKA, SHAME ON YOU
#17: He was convicted of 86 felony crimes. Who cares how much money he gave to tzedaka? AND DISABLE YOUR CAPS LOCK KEY. IT’S VERY RUDE.
locknload, and cantoresq THE SAME GOES TO YOU, I”M APPALED AT THE WAY YOU PEOPLE SPEAK ABOUT SUCH A HOLY MAN FULL OF GOOD DEEDS
#17, VERY RUDE INDEED, ABOUT THE WAY YOU DISGRACE A MAN WHO FED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF JEWS KOSHER MEAT AT DISCOUNTED PRICES FOR YEARS
#17. You’re joking, right? So if I rob a bank and then give half of the money I robbed to tzedaka then I am a Tzadik?? Seems pretty bad “logic” to me.
I don’t care if he gave me a million dollars of tzedaka but if he did something wrong and then was found (proven) guilty then he is NO TZADIK in my book. By calling Rubashkin a tzadik you insult ALL the REAL tzadikkim!!
#11 you are way off. Maybe you have not been to may factories like I have. There are illegal workers in almost every factory out there. Wake up!
#17, just becouse he was convicted in in this world, DOES NOT MEAN HE IS GUILTY IN THE WORLD TO COME, HASHEM DOES THINGS HIS WAY
mylogic37, why dont you take an exsample from kirk Bloodsworth who was worngly convicted then cleared by DNA Evidence spent nine years in prision even sentenced to death, THEN FREED BECOUSE HE WAS WORNGLY ACCUSED AFTER DNA TESTS PROVED HIS INNOCENCE, SINCE WHEN IS THE AMEICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM RELIABLE GIVE ME A BREAK!!!
if we can have the audacity to talk about hassan being innocent till proven guilty( afetr hundreds saw him commit the crime) then please dont talk about justice. it is a joke the way the system is so skewed. anyone indicting the gvnt for not getting rid of the aliens or the stupid laws that police may not ask them if they are illegal in case they were stopped for another offense
takingabreak, could you pleas translate your unintelligible ranting into plain English, please?
#24 Keep in mind Rubashkin admitted to making “mistakes” during the trial. You cannot compare the two cases. Here there is a paper trail.
#24- Of course you’re right, if one mistake was made in the history of the American judicial system that must mean the whole system is unreliable. Some really great logic there.
#17- Surely you know that Bernie Madoff shlita gave a lot more money to charity than Rubashkin earned in his entire life. He must be one of the tzadikei hador.
#9 Do you have any scientific data to back up this claim- do you realize howignorant you sound?
#4 Wow!!! Brilliant!!! How about when someone is found not guilty? Does that mean they found nothing there? Surely this is the first time this phrase has ever been used in the history of the American judicial system. What a gaonish catch.
Wow- so much stupidity and so little time.
It’s stories like these and comments like these that make it pretty clear to me why we’re still “waiting for moshiach”.
To Mylogic37 and a few other self hating Jews on here. Keep in mind the same Jury system them acquitted OJ Simpson found Mr. Shalom Rabashkin Gulity. Besides you probably know close to nothing regarding the details of this case. To put it blunt. Your comments are offensive, immature, and extremely naive!
You and some of your friends would prob look a lot smarter if you just kept your mouths mum!
Everyone RELAX…
Whether he’s guilty or innocent only he knows.
Your rude comments won’t free him anyway.
Might as well daven that if he’s innocent he should be freed and if he’s guilty…well…that he should get a light sentence maybe?
None of you know the truth so JUST RELAX.
I feel very bad for him in any case, but if he did commit crimes, then he shouldve thought that they might get him.
Just make sure all of you to learn a lesson here…
He did not rob a bank. Had they not been out to shut him down his highly profitable company would have repaid the debt. Even if he really is guilty, he is not any more criminal than the thousands of people who slightly padded their income to get a mortgage and now find themselves facing foreclosure and are recieving govt bailouts. He was not a Madoff. He had a real viable business that served a real market and real consumer need. Honestly. He was one of the few who NEVER had a kashrus scandal.
The immigration raid led to a bankruptcy that was not predictable. Had they allowed him the time to get back on his feet he would have made good.
For goodness sake they gave him a $35 million dollar revolving line, for arguments sake let us agree that he padded his bills, so they would have given him $33 mil. instead? The bankruptcy would have happened anyway, the “fraud” if any was minimal, but as the feds see it someone has got to pay for the investigation.
#14,
It’s called experience in the field, which you quite obviously don’t have.
“You and some of your friends would prob look a lot smarter if you just kept your mouths mum!”
Wow!!! I’d say the same to you but you probably couldn’t even manage to look smarter.
Yes, that must be the case. The American justice system is terrible b/c OJ got off. Never mind the fact that it convicted Jeffery Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Timothy McVeigh, Ted Bundy and a lot of other scum of the earth and made this country a little bit safer. Everybody makes mistakes (like you writing your post for instance) but to discount an entire justice system b/c some mistakes were made is idiotic at best and completely retarded at worst.
Ans I say to you: “Your comments are offensive, immature, and extremely naive!”, to say theleast.
How terrible to be in a country where murderers like Lemrik Nelson go free (and even if convicted of rapebthey get only tens of years) but for the supposed crime involving the Holy Dollar you get put away for life!!!!
This is terrible, I’m really sad!
what a rachmonus on his family and of course on him. I cannot imagine the pain they’re going through. I didn’t know R’ Sholom but I’m devestated to think short of a ‘ness’ what’s waiting him.
My heart breaks for him and his family. May Ha-Shem help them through this terribly difficult time. Perhaps it’s a small nechama to the family, that complete strangers the world over, are davenning for him daily. May we be zoche to see the answer to our tefillos.
This is a victory for PETA. And a loss to all of Klal Yisroel. PETA will not stop here. C”V, the banning of kapporos, shechita and streimlich is next on their agenda.
We are in galus, and nothing is secure.
SO while we continue davenning for Mr. Rubashkin and his family, we should daven for ourselves too, and for the future of our religious freedoms in America.
Nothing short of a modern day blood libel.. Anti Semitism is alive and well in America’s heartland.. This should be a wake up. that no matter how you see yourself they still hate us!!! Berny Maddoff 150 years Rubashkin 1280.00 what a mockery of the US Judicial system it’s a monkey court!!
the same reason why the beis hamikdash was destroyed, and the same reason moshiach did not come yet; sinas chinam, once again rears its ugly head. may the one who maasered get whats coming to him
intouch: I am gald you read my comments, as it was directed to you aswell.
if he would be Muslim Obama would pardon him.
Heshem yarachem, unbelievable, he seems to be much worse than Madoff and a terrible threat for society so he needs to be locked in….
If the FBI would have done their REAL jobs we would had 13 more alive soldiers in texas , instead the run after a yidel that swindled a couple of bucks , for shame!
My heart is broken for him how is if going to manage ? Hashem please give him the strength to overcome this Nisoyon!
It is, as someone here put it, a witch hunt. The hunt will continue with the next upcoming trial.
I feel badly for Shalom and his family. Even though he hurt me and my Rabbi financially, 2000 years in prison is totally ludicrous. I know him personally and have had many dealings with him.
So what *really* happened? The movie, in which animals had their trachea ripped out while still alive was *clearly* shown. This IS what triggered it. I hope that anyone here planning on killing cattle for a business does *NOT* take out the trachea *before* the animal is dead. And by dead I mean only what appears to be dead by the human eye and not by any definition oft any gemorah, simlach hadasha or halacha le moshe mi sinai.
אבל אשמים אנחנו על אחינו where are all those who benefited from the time of the good fortune of the Rubashkin’s, did we hear from them now, did they do the utmost to help as they did the utmost to benefit from them? Here we have another משלנו all too anxious to benefit from their loss and worse. Where are we, do we think we are after the גאולה?
For those who think the Jury was anti-Semitic…why the acquittal on 5 charges? Wouldn’t anti-Semites putting an innocent man away find him guilty on all counts?
This looks like a fair verdict. SMR defenders claimed the Government overreached with the livestock charges. The Jury agreed and found him not guilty. Obviously there was thought put into their decision.
#33 I have experience in the field (been to many many factories including coke and pepsi and many other food companies) and have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. The only time I saw known illeagals working was in a kitchen at a kosher pesach program. But I’m sure you must know b/f of your experience in the field. I guess somebody should break the news to the heads of Ford and P&G and GE and Pfizer that they have illegals working in their factories- I mean “Anonymous” says so and he has experience. Maybe even leak the news to FNC, I’m sure everyone would like to know that “every factory in the us has illegal workers”.
So much stupidity and so little time.
All you who are screaming justice to this “dishonest” man, you don’t come close to the heels of this person. You cannot even fathom the greatness of this person. After such charges and his company of tears and sweat, all the houses he owned are lost, and he still walks around with a smile and with a GENUINE belief in Hashem that He is the controller of the world, and if this is what Hashem wants..and to see him able to act normal and function on a daily basis, no there are no words to describe him – Noone but no one on this site would have such acceptance and such bittul to Hashem. May Hashem show him the good in all this
I googled Judge Reede and this is what I found, no kidding this is true, she was in on the raid there is an attorney Rockne Cole who wrote his congressman after being called to a meeting where other attorneys were also summoned to be the official defenders of the immigrants they were about to round up. There were improprieties and he walked out on them. The Judge was part of the inner circle. Please read it, it definitely looks like a conflict of interest. She definitely should not be sitting in judgement since she was in on it from the beginning. Whoever is close to the family please forward this.
http://www.courthouseforum.com/upload/phpjo0nIX.judge reade misconduct.pdf
He stole absolutely nothing. He owes no one money. This is all about the procedures to receive loans.
The fact is that most cabinet members of the current administration didn’t pay their taxes as they were suppose to. The fact is that Charlie Rangle who writes most tax laws doesn’t pay his taxes. Did you ever hear anyone say jail for them? This country has become a scary similarity to what is described in “Animal Farm”.
To all of SMR’s “friends” where were you when you should have been telling your friend to take the deal they offered. The evidence was MASSIVE. He cut invoices to clothing stores. HELLOOOOOO he was a BUTCHER!!
You deluded SMR into believing the baloney about the conspiracy. You fed him “the war on shechita” nonsense.
IDIOTS.
Obama, Bush, Pelosi ICE they don’t care about kosher meat. They care about white collar crimes and this was a doozey. Some friends you are.
Now 15 years is a dream.
Eizehu chochom? Not you guys.
does anyone know how far being dan lkaf zechus goes? i assume if someone was found guilty by sanhedrin or beis din there is no reason to be dan lkak zechus. does this apply to secular court systems as well despite that their methods of determining guilt are different than that of halacha?
Intouchwithreality-i don’t care whom you agree/disagree with but just watch your mouth.
You are making many rude comments. Talk like a mentch please to get ur point across.
Sorry about the mussar…
KOL HAKAVOD intouchwithreality,
P.S THERE IS A MITZVA OF PIDYON SHIVUEN FOR HAGON RABBI SHOLOM RUBASHKIN
Hashem yishmor.
Rav Eliashiv Shlit”a paskened that there is no chiyuv of pidyon shevuyim for someone who is guilty. The fact that he admitted to fraud during the trial (but called them “mistakes”) means that he is guilty of violating the law. I feel bad for his family, and I feel bad for the families of those who were convicted in the summer. As Ben Brafman said after that occasion, it’s worse to commit bank fraud than to commit a murder in today’s United states. If you want to avoid jail, don’t commit white-collar crime. It doesn’t pay.
“He stole absolutely nothing. He owes no one money. This is all about the procedures to receive loans.
The fact is that most cabinet members of the current administration didn’t pay their taxes as they were suppose to. The fact is that Charlie Rangle who writes most tax laws doesn’t pay his taxes. Did you ever hear anyone say jail for them? This country has become a scary similarity to what is described in “Animal Farm”.
Exactly my thoughts, #51
To #50,
I checked out the link. You are right. Judge Reade was involved in the raid. She and others were responsible in setting up the whole thing.
To all you Rubashkin haters click on the following link and weep:
http://www.courthouseforum.com/upload/phpjo0nIX.judge%20reade%20misconduct.pdf
“…Judge Reade and the United States Attorney’s Office coordinated the mass detention, roundup, representation plan, plea deals, sentencing, PRIOR to one single attorney consulting with a client.”
Hashem Yerachem. Hashem will be with us in this sarah just like he has been with us in our other saras. We will endure!!!
How many years can he be expected to spend in the slammer?
Are there special jails/sections for white-collar criminals?
#61: If he gets the maximum sentence for all convictions, he’ll draw nearly 1300 years.
I feel bad for Rubashkin, but I can’t stand how some frum yidn assume that it’s all anti-semitism, “they’re out to get us”, etc.
Rabboisai, enough with this naarishkeit!
Follow the laws (which happens to be a chiuv) and you’ll see that you have nothing to fear. This is not czarist russia anymore.
And, by the way, claiming that other criminals are walking freely is no excuse. Just because some people get away with fraud, does that mean it’s mutar to do it?
H’ should have rachmonus on Rubashkin, and may He give us seichel to understand His messages.
Anyone who does not try to serve as a juror when called has no right to complain.
In fact, you can blame yourself and those like you for obvious injustice.
I THINK THE FBI SHOULD GO AFTER THESE PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD WHO ARE NOT DAN RABBI SHOLUM RUBASHKIN LKAF ZCHUS, THESE PEOPLE WITH NO DOUBT ARE A BUNCH OF CRIMINALS, BECAUSE THE GEMURA SAYS “KOL HAPOSEL BEMIMO POSEL”
to #66:
Does dan lekaf zechus apply if someone is convicted as a result of reaios bruros of his misconduct?
People make mistakes and he made a mistake. Now, accept that and stop worshipping the Rubashkin baal.
#67, Have you been following the trial? Rubashkin’s strategy throughout the trial has been to admit guilt but say he was incompetent and inexperienced. That was the gist of most of the defense testimony. Why should I not believe him if he ADMITTED guilt? Hoda’as baal din keme’ah eidim. He should have taken the plea bargain.
mt mehdi, he thinks the fbi should go after all those who type in ALL CAPS, well IT’s ANNOYING AND RUDE, THAT PEOPLE WHO PERSONNLY BENIFITTED FROM RUBASHKIN HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO WITH THEMSELVES BUT TO DISGRACE HIM, SHOLOM RUBASKIN STOLE NOTHING HE IS FULLY INNOCENT, BEING CONVICTED IN THE AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM MEANS NOTHING ONLY MEANS SOMETHING IN THE OLAM HA”EMMES, CONVICTED IN THE UNRELIABLE AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM DOES NOT MAKE HIM GUILTY BY HASHEM, HASHEM DOES THINGS HIS WAY
waiting for moshiach: I’ve analyzed all the posts, here, and you are by far the most prolific (and preposterous in your comments).
71, exactly how has everyone “personally benefitted” from mister Rubashkin?
CHUZPA CHUZPA CHUZPA!!!!!!!!I CANT GET OVER THE CHUZPA THAT YESHIVA WORLD IS ALLOWING COMMENTS ON THIS CASE. IF THIS WAS R’SHMUEL BIRNBAUM YOU WOULDN’T ALLOW IT. RABBI RUBASHKIN IS THE R’ SHMUEL OF KOSHER MEAT. TAKE OFF COMMENTS BEFORE WE BOYCOTT YESHIVAWORLD NEWS….
Boycotts are great pr!
Go for it! I’m sure YWN will even help sponsor it.
reb shmuel berenbaum was never found guilty of bank fraud.
he was never found guilty of anything besides learning shas over and over from age 14 until 86
you should probably run to his kever and ask mechila
75- Shame on you!
How can you put the gadol hador’s name into such a comment?
This is like saying “madeoff is the reb shmuel berenbaum of ponzi schemes”.
your sickly deranged and need help.
The worst part is calling this a blood lible.
the yated and co. are out of line bigtime.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT HIS NAME IS NOT HUSSEIN!
#74, your questain does not even deserve an answer to say the least
There’s certainly some interesting facts surrounding this case.
Look at the timeline when the raid occured and what was Bush doing in regards to Israel. A person can certainly wonder if this was a message from Bush to Israel.
I had read on an Israeli site who investigated the matter and certain things came to light. First this was ‘instigated’ by a certain church and a certain Jewish group who didn’t like the laws of Kashrut and wanted to minimize the same. So accusations were made against the company in order to diminish the more strict Kashrut businesses. As a result Glatt Kosher meat is more scarce. When interviewing the personnel there it contradicted what the news was saying. As a result I’m a little suspicious on the entire matter. I wouldn’t come to any conclusion until I read the Entire transcript, since part of the testimony proved malfeasance by the Prosecutor, in that witnesses were essentially told to give false information, and admitted to it on the stand.
I, for one, Do Not Trust Edom.
Even best case scenario, based on the defense, is that he was an incredibly incompetent businessman. Yet the RCA Rebbeim that went on a “Rubashkin paid junket” raved about what a tremendous place it was, so clean and run so well. The head of our Vaad, Rabbi Zuravin, wrote a column in our local Jewish paper raving about it. I said at the time that he would end up looking foolish, and I was correct.
When the Jews cry anti-semitism on this one, they are belittling those times when it really is anti-semitism.
Those of you who are so blind with regards to the facts surrounding this case, are every bit as blind as those fanatical Obama supporters. You have dispensed with your commons sence.
84, i don’t trust Edom, but a kol Yaakov where he says “I committed the crimes but it’s not criminal because they’re “mistakes” ” I’m willing to trust. Rav Shmuel berenbaum ZT”L was a tzaddik who never did even a nidnud of sheker and fraud. Daas chachamim hepech midass baalei battim.
what i don’t understand is that as awful as this is (i’m going to sound pretty harsh here) why is this story getting so much more attention then the bochurim in japan? worst comes to worst, rubashkin will spend years in an AMERICAN prison. thats terrible but the bochurim could ch’v spend years in a JAPANESE prison. why is this getting pages in the yated and articles on YWN when the bochurim get atiny notice to daven for them?