Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on June 27, 2017

A New Jersey rabbiand his wife were arrested with three other Jewish couples forunderreporting their incomes to receive government benefits.

The couples, including the rabbis brother and wife, were arrested Monday inraids that resulted from an investigationinto Lakewood, a New Jersey town that is home to a large haredi Orthodox community. More arrests are expected, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato said, according to The Associated Press.

The FBI and the New Jersey State Comptrollers Office launched the probe.

By underreporting their incomes, Rabbi Zalmen Sorotzkin and his wife, Tzipporah, and the other couples defrauded state and federal assistance programs of over$1 million, according to criminal complaints, AP reported.

The Sorotzkins were charged in state court withillegallycollecting more than $338,000 in benefits. They will plead not guilty, their attorney said, according to AP.

Another couple, Mordechai and Jocheved Breskin, was charged with illegally collecting $585,000.

In federal court, Zalmen Sorotzkins brother, Mordechai, and his wife, Rachel, were charged with another couple, Yocheved and Shimon Nussbaum, withillegally collecting benefits, including Medicaid.

Originally posted here:

Lakewood Hasidic Rabbi Accused In Sprawling $1M Benefits Scam - Forward

Category: Hasidic
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