Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Mark G. Peters, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced today the filing of criminal charges against six defendants for participating in long-running schemes to hide substantial assets and income obtained from significant business and real estate interests in order to attain government benefits designed for low-income individuals.
In total, the defendants allegedly obtained more than $1.3 million of government benefits. Shlomo Kubitshuk, Rachel Kubitshuk, Naftali Englander and Hinda Englander were charged in one complaint, and Leib Teitelbaum and Devorah Teitelbaum were charged in a separate complaint. The defendants were arrested in Brooklyn this morning and are scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court later today.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “For over a decade, this ring of six defendants allegedly lied to city and federal officials about their financial status in order to obtain benefits that were meant for the needy. The alleged schemes that netted them over a million dollars has been put to an end and the defendants now face federal fraud charges.”
Commissioner Mark G. Peters said: “These defendants were millionaires stealing from the poor, as charged. The defendants fraudulently concealed their wealth to obtain benefits, including Section 8 vouchers intended to help low income New Yorkers find housing, according to the allegations. At a time when affordable housing is scarce, and there is a waiting list for Section 8 vouchers, it is reprehensible that some New Yorkers went without so that these defendants could have still more.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaints[1]:
From 2001 to 2016, Shlomo Kubitshuk, Rachel Kubitshuk, Naftali Englander and Hinda Englander conspired and engaged in a scheme to obtain government benefits designed for low-income residents, including Section 8 housing subsidies, Medicaid health insurance, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) food stamps, totaling more than $980,000. In connection with applications for these benefits, they failed to disclose substantial income and financial assets, including a portfolio of multimillion-dollar residential real estate properties. The defendants also perpetrated the fraud by providing false income affidavits for each other.
From 2007 to 2016, Leib Teitelbaum and Devorah Teitelbaum also conspired and engaged in a scheme to obtain government benefits designed for low-income residents, including Section 8 housing subsidies, Medicaid health insurance, and SNAP food stamps, totaling more than $330,000. In connection with applications for these benefits, they failed to disclose substantial income and financial assets, including a jewelry business and an apartment they owned.
* * *
Shlomo Kubitshuk, 38, Rachel Kubitshuk, 39, both from Brooklyn, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal government funds, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and two counts of theft of government funds, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Naftali Englander, 40, Hinda Englander, 41, Leib Teitelbaum, 39, and Devorah Teitelbaum, 36, all from Brooklyn, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal government funds, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and three counts of theft of government funds, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in these cases are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
U.S. Attorney Bharara praised the work of DOI and the Criminal Investigators of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli J. Mark and Thane Rehn are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
You do NOTpass judgment and assign sentence- how foolish and self incriminating of you. Judgment day for each of us approaches…
this is not the first time Bahara is proudly broadcasting that he has busted frum jews in brooklyn.
I wonder is this can be the birth of a Frum lives matters movement.
It is that time of year when Hashem judges us, if we judge others favorably Hashem will do the same for us!
If these charges are true what gets me is (not that I’m condoning this) our wishful nominee Hillary Yimach shmoh stole much more from the government and still she is not only being taken to trail (aside from the people she “had” killed) but she is rewarded by being allowed to run for the control of this entire country.
There is a reason you hear these stories by the Hassidic Jews with the Black suits in Brooklyn! that’s because the DOJ is out for Jewish Blood! the headline reads: 6 Busted in Section 8 scam… I checked up the details, and wonder why i see Husband and wife are counted as 2 – Suddenly i see from a whole Hassidic Gang of 6 Individuals who were screwing the system and emptied the governments bank accounts and thanks to DOJ the entire ring was “BUSTED” WOWOW… Idiots! This is 3 people who “according the the claim” got 1.3 m in… Read more »
Erev Rosh Hashana.
Dan lkaf zechus
to all negative cooments –the way you judge others is the way Hashem judges you….how can you be so quick to jump to assumptions!!!??!!!!! They could be completely innocent!!! The court system is not even a reliable system — many times ppl plead guilty even if they are inncoent because of the way the court system is designed. But you a yid ( I assume if you are commenting on COL) and a frum one too — to come and jump to conclusions and maybe your comments. Shame! Even if they were guilty, for argument sake… did you never sin… Read more »
What does ‘frum’ mean? If someone is stealing, are they ‘frum’? Were only these people arrested and if so, does that mean that Jewish people are being sought out for crimes?
This is not news, there are a lot of frum jews that are milking the city, and get benefits and Medicaid and low income housing and they were the best of clothes and drive around very exspensive cars, and they have summer homes and go on vacation, they just got caught
Only 6 people in all of Brooklyn are scamming the government and hiding income and assets?
Wow,
Especially, Right before Rosh Hashanna.
If anyone, would G-d forbid do something like this, and I hope no one is, it would be a big Chillul H-sh-m.
The antisemites, love to find dirt to smear Klal Yisroael with, and them building up such hatred, based on them finding some excuse, gives them even more impetus to actually attack and harm, yidden G-d forbid.
Honesty is not just following Torah, it can in some cases, actually save lives.
May we all do a complete teshuvah and merit to greet Moshiach, before Rosh Hashanna starts.
Such a chillul hashem!
They should each get 30 years minimum.
Busha!
And you know the charges are TRUE, that we all know. Shame and shameful frum behavior
It’s a shame that drum Jews need to milk the us government it’s a big black eye for us drum Jews. We must have complete bitachon in Hashem. We don’t have to steal. Stealing from the government is steal stealing.
CHers?
“… merely accusations, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guity.”
It will get you to sleep at night
Some times Syog Lchachma Shitika is better why is it that you report this people are innocent till proven guilty you didn’t hear their Tzad
Is because it has become the norm here in Brooklyn. They are unlucky to get busted, but unfortunately MANY people, THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS, are doing this.
Obviously deep down I really don’t feel bad for any of these people who get busted.
what a chillul Hashem. and erev rosh hashono, no less!