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Nov

21

Rubashkin, former Agriprocessors plant manager, denied bail


That’s what I call taking this thing seriously.  Glad to see it.

From JTA:

Judge Jon Scoles ruled Thursday that Sholom Rubashkin—whose family owned Agriprocessors, what was at one time the country’s largest kosher meatpacking plant—posed a flight risk and would be held until trial. Scoles was not persuaded by Rubashkin’s willingness to post more than a $3 million bond, the bulk of it guaranteed by Jewish residents of Postville who were willing to put up their home equity as a guarantee, the Iowa Independent.

Prosecutors claimed in a hearing Wednesday that a travel bag packed with passports, and $20,000 in cash and silver coins, were found in Rubashkin’s home. Rubashkin’s attorneys claimed that he was deeply connected to his family and the Postville community, and posed no risk of flight.

Rubashkin was arrested last week and charged with orchestrating an accounting scheme that enabled Agriprocessors to borrow more money than it had collateral to cover. At the time of his arrest, Rubashkin was free on another bond resulting from his arrest in late October on charges related to document fraud and the harboring of illegal aliens.

The only thing I’ll add is that I would like to see all corporate individuals who are alleged to have contributed to similar situations be treated the same way.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:02 pm November 21st, 2008 in Business, Courts, Crime, Ethics, Government, Immigration, Law, Politics, Social Issues 

Comments

4 Responses to “Rubashkin, former Agriprocessors plant manager, denied bail”

  1. 1 LisaRenee on November 21st, 2008 7:46 pm

    I find it kind of disturbing that it’s reported he was charged with 9,000 violations of child labor laws in October and was granted bond on those charges but when it involves money magically he does not qualify for bond.

    It seems to devalue the lives of those that were affected for him to have been able to go about his daily life.

  2. 2 Boring Made Dull on November 21st, 2008 8:02 pm

    I’m not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but it seems to me that having a bag packed with passports, and 20 G’s constitutes a “flight risk”. Though I suspect that $20,000 doesn’t go as far as it used to when you’re on the lam.

    Personally, I’m all for tossing these kinds of crooks in jail, for both a)the child labor / illegal alien scheme as well as b) the attempt to defraud the company’s creditors.

    Though, come to think of it, coming out against fraud ande xploiting illegal immigrants and children doesn’t exactly qualify as a profile in courage.

  3. 3 Jill Miller Zimon on November 21st, 2008 8:50 pm

    That’s a great observation, Lisa Renee. Do you think the courts and/or agents were complicit in having the charges brought in the order that they were? In other words, I’d think, why couldn’t they have charged him with the accounting stuff before, earlier than the raids?

    I don’t know – from what I do know? This plant has had problems for a very very long time. I can tell you that among most Jews, we sincerely consider it a huge shanda.

  4. 4 Jill Miller Zimon on November 21st, 2008 8:53 pm

    Boring Made Dull – it’s bad all around. I think we can probably settle on that. For me, it’s hard to know what’s worse – the failure and refusal to confront the realities of why any business exploits illegal immigrants or the fact that there are souls that do it in the first place. But for me, that choice – of which is worse – is often where I get mired down.

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