Disgraced rabbi sentenced to 18 months in jail under plea bargain
The Jerusalem District Court has approved a plea deal with 84-year-old Rabbi Eliezer Berland who was accused of defrauding millions of shekels from sick and elderly followers.
That disgraced Hasidic leader, who previously served a 10-month
sentence for sexually abusing his female followers, was hit with an 18-month
prison sentence — 13 of which had has already served — for numerous offenses,
including fraud, extortion, tax offenses and money laundering.
Berland — who headed Shuvu Banim yeshiva which is affiliated
with the Breslov Hasidic movement — was arrested along with his wife in
February 2020, for conning hundreds of people, including terminally ill
patients, out of tens of millions of shekels with false promises of a miracle
cure.
The rabbi’s convictions came as part of a settlement that
saw Berland plead guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence, which includes 18
months of jail time, minus time served; a year-long probation period, in eight
of which he will have to wear an electronic tagger; a fine of more than NIS 2.4
million as well as compensation to the victims.
“Berland committed a series of acts of fraud against people
who appealed to him based on the status that he built and nurtured over the
years,” the prosecution stated.
“Berland told those who came to him that if they paid him
sums of money ranging between NIS 5,000 and NIS 20,000, their loved one would
recover and their illness would go away, all while knowing that the facts he
told those who came to him were f.”
“In some cases, after the initial promise was given and the
recovery did not come, Berland gave another false promise for which an
additional amount was paid."
Berland was also charged with attempted threats after he
ordered his followers to “beat to death” some people he believed were acting
against Jewish law.
He was also hit with tax evasion and fraud charges after he
failed to report the tens of millions he earned from providing spiritual
services, and money laundering charges for using various organizations to
conceal property he owned.
The Jerusalem District Attorney's Office stated: "Eliezer
Berland was convicted after his confession to fraud and extortion through the
exploitation of people in distress… He was also convicted of economic offenses,
tax fraud, embezzlement of tens of millions of shekels and money laundering
offenses.”
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