By COLlive.com reporter
Moshe Rubashkin, Rosh Hakohol of Crown Heights and a private businessman, was sentenced today with 16 months in prison and $450,000 restitution by federal judge James Noah Gardner.
Rubashkin and his son Sholom Rubashkin were indicted in November 2007 on charges of illegal storage of hazardous waste in their now-closed textiles company in Allentown, PA.
He will pay a $7,500 fine as well. His son’s court case is postponed for another 6 months.
Friends and supporters who arrived this morning at the Edward N. Cahn Federal Courthouse in Allentown accepted the verdict with mixed feelings, with some initially predicting “it will be bad.”
“Everything is for the good,” Rubashkin told COLlive.com on his way back home to Crown Heights.
Rubashkin is a member of a respected Lubavitch family with its roots in Russia and is known for his generosity and open home. He lately resigned from the chairmanship of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (replaced by Dr. Harvey Lang).
It is not clear whether he’ll retain his position as Rosh Hakohol – the elected head of the community.
He will begin his imprisonment on January 6, 2009, which he calls the day of “my surrender.” But he assured us that “all the good work and programs will continue. Nothing is going to stop. Not Nightlife (a social program for post-seminary Lubavitch girls), nothing.”
Rubashkin added: “I would like to thank the Rabbonim for coming and all the poeple who davened and came. Rivkah Shur and Phillys Mintz for rallying the people, Benjy Stock for sponsoring the buses.”
It’s so ridicules to punish this rabbi. As if $45000 fine was not enough. Once againe it shows as that they looking to embarrass as anyway they can.
Sam
and many others, including Jews, acted like animals, and it’s just after Yom HaKippur!
Obviously they don’t really, sincerely believe in G-d or fear HIM.
The govt. has 7 G-dly commands to fulfill in order to create a wonderful, peaceful society.
They can’t get it together. Why not?
[email protected]
Huge shame that he should be slapped with jail time as opposed to community service. It just goes to show that, even in this climate of terror here and abroad, of war, of poverty etc… we still need to keep within the letter of the law.
I hope Hashem has Rachmanis and not keep this GREAT Baal Chesed in prison
Urgent please say tehillim for menachem ben rivka. He is on life support and needs our tefillos. Please pass it on.
People must keep in mind – if the goverment WARNS you to take care of violations PLEASE do NOT laugh it off and take care of the matter. It is no joke. This is what happened here. The whole thing could have been avoided!
Rabbi’s we don’t have (they all in a fight)
No leaders and no direction this is why we look the way we are,
AAAAAAAAA but we have some drugs, alcohol. So it’s all fine?
Moshe Rubaskhkin and family, our community stands with you in this time of hardship and wishes you only good news and success from now on.
Welcome to the United States of America!!!
what a tragedy!
this is called a crime?! this is a joke! all he did wrong was not clean up the place insane!
so sorry for hiim and his family oy
your site gives off the impression of a very professional site but I think that when you are reporting such a respected individual of the crown heights community you shouldny use “slapped” with 16 months
you can just say that he received a sentence of 16 months…