Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Feds Seek Life Sentence in Slaughterhouse Case
A request that a former kosher slaughterhouse manager spend the rest of his life in prison for financial fraud has surprised Jewish groups and led six former U.S. attorneys general to complain that prosecutors are seeking an excessive sentence.
A sentencing hearing for Sholom Rubashkin will begin Wednesday in Cedar Rapids, ending a nearly two-year saga that began with a huge raid on the Agriprocessors Inc. meatpacking plant in Postville, in northeastern Iowa, which resulted in the arrests of 389 people on immigration charges.
Mr. Rubashkin has been jailed since November 2009, when he was convicted of 86 financial fraud charges that stemmed from fake invoices he created to show a lender the plant had more money flowing in than it did. Prosecutors say the fraud cost the bank $26 million.
Prosecutors later dropped 72 charges of immigration violations but called for a life sentence, saying the 50-year-old Mr. Rubashkin should "be treated no differently than other defendants sentenced by the court."
That request shocked Mr. Rubashkin's supporters and even some who didn't question his guilt.
"Look, he committed a crime, and when you commit a crime, the nature of our system of justice is that you pay for the crime," said Rabbi David Zweibel, executive vice president of New York-based Agudath of Israel, a national Orthodox group. "But the prospect of this man spending probably the rest of his life behind bars is horrible."
The proposed sentence led 23 former prosecutors to send a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Linda R. Reade arguing for a shorter prison term. Among those signing the letter are former U.S. attorneys general Janet Reno and Edwin Meese III.
The letter says there's no justification for prosecutors to "call for a life sentence—or anything close to it—for Mr. Rubashkin." It notes that Mr. Rubashkin is a first-time, nonviolent offender whose personal history suggests "a sentence of a modest number of years could and would be more than sufficient."
Alan Vinegrad, a former U.S. attorney from New York, organized the letter, said Mr. Rubashkin's attorney, Guy Cook.
The proposed sentence has brought together a disparate group of people who have followed Mr. Rubashkin's case, ranging from those who thought he was unfairly prosecuted because of his religious beliefs to some who thought he was guilty, said Jeff Stier, chairman of the board of directors of Jewish International Connection in New York City.
"There's a broad middle ground here of reasonable people where I put myself," said Mr. Stier, whose group serves as a networking hub for Jews who emigrate to New York. "The guy did something wrong. We don't like him very much, but his sentence should be consistent with that of others who have committed similar crimes."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471204575210563152259970.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
A sentencing hearing for Sholom Rubashkin will begin Wednesday in Cedar Rapids, ending a nearly two-year saga that began with a huge raid on the Agriprocessors Inc. meatpacking plant in Postville, in northeastern Iowa, which resulted in the arrests of 389 people on immigration charges.
Mr. Rubashkin has been jailed since November 2009, when he was convicted of 86 financial fraud charges that stemmed from fake invoices he created to show a lender the plant had more money flowing in than it did. Prosecutors say the fraud cost the bank $26 million.
Prosecutors later dropped 72 charges of immigration violations but called for a life sentence, saying the 50-year-old Mr. Rubashkin should "be treated no differently than other defendants sentenced by the court."
That request shocked Mr. Rubashkin's supporters and even some who didn't question his guilt.
"Look, he committed a crime, and when you commit a crime, the nature of our system of justice is that you pay for the crime," said Rabbi David Zweibel, executive vice president of New York-based Agudath of Israel, a national Orthodox group. "But the prospect of this man spending probably the rest of his life behind bars is horrible."
The proposed sentence led 23 former prosecutors to send a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Linda R. Reade arguing for a shorter prison term. Among those signing the letter are former U.S. attorneys general Janet Reno and Edwin Meese III.
The letter says there's no justification for prosecutors to "call for a life sentence—or anything close to it—for Mr. Rubashkin." It notes that Mr. Rubashkin is a first-time, nonviolent offender whose personal history suggests "a sentence of a modest number of years could and would be more than sufficient."
Alan Vinegrad, a former U.S. attorney from New York, organized the letter, said Mr. Rubashkin's attorney, Guy Cook.
The proposed sentence has brought together a disparate group of people who have followed Mr. Rubashkin's case, ranging from those who thought he was unfairly prosecuted because of his religious beliefs to some who thought he was guilty, said Jeff Stier, chairman of the board of directors of Jewish International Connection in New York City.
"There's a broad middle ground here of reasonable people where I put myself," said Mr. Stier, whose group serves as a networking hub for Jews who emigrate to New York. "The guy did something wrong. We don't like him very much, but his sentence should be consistent with that of others who have committed similar crimes."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471204575210563152259970.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5
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