Hosta

{{Template:Chabad}}<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Moshe rubashkin.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Rabbi Moshe Rubashkin]] -->'''Rabbi Moshe Rubashkin''' (born [[1958]]) is a [[Chabad]] rabbi in [[Crown Heights, Brooklyn]], and a convicted fraudster.<ref>[http://www.forward.com/articles/felon-elected-to-head-council-in-brooklyn ''Felon Elected To Head Council in Brooklyn'', E.B. Solomont, The Forward, Mar 18, 2005]</ref> He was elected to a three-year term in 2005 to serve as the head of the ''Crown Heights Jewish Community Council'', a public organisation that among other activities receives $2 million per annum in state funding.<ref>''Felon picked as leader'', Glenn Thrush, New York Newsday, March 10, 2005</ref> He has also served a 15-month prison sentence for knowingly passing bad checks and is still on probation.

==Assault on police==

In 1983, he was one of four Lubavitch men arrested after nine police officers were injured in a mêlée between the police and Orthodox Jews leaving a synagogue holiday service in Crown Heights.<ref>''4 Hasidim held following clash with police'', Lindsey Gruson, The New York Times, September 23, 1983</ref>

==Montex Mills==

Rubashkin was the owner of Montex Mills, a [[textile mill]] in [[Allentown, Pennsylvania]]. It ceased operations in 2000. According to court papers Rubashkin was involved in an offense in connection with his operation of Montex Mills. Pennsylvania law requires companies to secure worker's compensation insurance for their employees. Nevertheless, when an employee of Montex became injured and attempted to recover disability payments, it became apparent that Rubashkin, in his capacity as president of Montex, had failed to secure the required insurance. On May 4, 2001, Rubashkin was placed in an ARD program for a period of 18 months. It was during this probationary period that Rubashkin - in an attempt to liquidate some of the failing plants assets, wrote bad checks to himself from the company, defrauding the Banks of over $300,000.<ref>

United States of America v. Moshe Rubashkin, Appellant. No. 02-4180. United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit</ref>

===Bank fraud===

A government investigation found that between March 25, 1999 and March 30, 1999, Rubashkin attempted to deposit three checks payable to Montex, all drawn from the account of an entity named First Choice Associates, into Montex's [[First Union]] accounts. In the aggregate, the three checks totaled approximately $325,000. Rubashkin withdrew or used most of the funds which he attempted to deposit. Shortly thereafter, First Union learned that there were insufficient funds in the account from which the deposited checks were drawn.

Rubashkin pleaded guilty to one count of Bank Fraud under US CODE 18 § 1344, "execution of a scheme to defraud a financial institution".<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00001344----000-.html Cornell Law School, legal Information]</ref>, on July 31, 2002, for passing bad checks to prop up his failing Montex Mills textile business.<ref>''Felon picked as leader'', Glenn Thrush, New York Newsday, March 10, 2005</ref> He was sentenced to 15 months in prison and a further five years on probation. He was also given a fine of $233,000.<ref>[http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/files/moshe_rubashkin_motion.pdf United States of America vs. Moshe Rubashkin, Criminal action 02-333-01]</ref><ref name="s">

United States of America v. Moshe Rubashkin, Appellant. No. 02-4180. United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit</ref> He appealed the length of the sentence, but this was rejected.<ref name="s"/> He served his time at [[Fort Dix|Fort Dix Federal Prison]] in [[New Jersey]].<ref>''Felon picked as leader'', Glenn Thrush, New York Newsday, March 10, 2005</ref>

===Montex Mills fire===

<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Peace meeting1.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Rubashkin chairing a meeting of the CHJCC]] -->

The mill had been closed for more than 4 years and Rubashkin had defaulted on his city tax payments. The city had obtained an order for the property to be sold to raise public funds.

The mill burnt down following a series of fires attributed to arson<ref>''Blaze at Montex Textiles in Allentown ruled arson'', Angela Pomponio, Morning Call (Allentown, PA), May 5, 2005</ref> that began on April 19, 2005. The original fire burnt for over 24 hours. The fire took place three days before the building was to be sold at a sheriff's sale because of more than $100,000 in delinquent taxes. The mill had not been functioning for a number of years before the blaze.<ref name="f">''EPA fears that hazardous chemicals pose imminent risk'', Eliot Grossman, Allentown Morning Call, October 21, 2005</ref>

The [[Environmental Protection Agency]] was forced to get a court order to enter the site - which posed a serious public safety risk - as the owners were uncontactable. The site contained numerous major fire hazards including explosive aluminium powder and acids.<ref name="f"/>

In November 2005 the local government had obtained a court order to repossess the building due to non-payment of back-taxes when the building burnt down. Subsequently the majority of the ruins were transferred from ''Skyline Industries'' to ''Southside Development'', both companies are believed to be controlled by the Rubashkin family, according to local officials.<ref>''Allentown officials prepare to seize and sell the Montex Mills'', Allentown Morning Call, November 13, 2005</ref>

==Cherry Hill Textiles==

In 1995, Rubashkin along with his father [[Aaron Rubashkin]], he was found guilty of fraudulently withholding Union remittances from organized labor groupings that were active at the Cherry Hill Textiles Mill in Brooklyn, that was under their ownership. The [[National Labor Relations Board]] found them guilty on a number of charges and ordered them to pay all the [[back-date]]d dues.<ref>Cherry Hill Textiles Inc and United Production Workers Union, Local 17-18, Case 29-CA-17848, ''Decisions of the National Labor Relations Board, No. 40''</ref>

==Citations==

<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count: 2; column-count: 2;">

<references/>

</div>

[[Category:American fraudsters]]

[[Category:American tax evaders]]