The chilling plot to kidnap and murder an individual in order to obtain a religious divorce for that individual’s wife has come to an end. Rabbi Shimen Liebowitz, 36, and Aharon Goldberg, 38, were arrested yesterday in Central Valley, New York, while meeting to plan the kidnapping and murder. They will be presented later today before Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman in federal court in Manhattan.
According to FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr., the defendants met repeatedly to plan the kidnapping and to pay more than $55,000 to an individual they believed would carry it out. ‘As if the plan to kidnap the victim and force him to divorce his wife in this alleged conspiracy wasn’t bad enough, the plotters allegedly decided halfway through the arrangement to go a step further and add murder to the list of their planned crimes.’
The two men are accused of conspiring to kidnap and murder an individual in order to force him to issue a ‘get,’ a document required by Jewish law for a woman to be released from her marriage. Liebowitz is a member of the Satmar community in Kiryas Joel, New York, and Goldberg is an Israel-based rabbi who also maintains a position of prominence in Kiryas Joel.
The plot allegedly began in early July when an individual contacted the FBI and reported being recruited by Liebowitz and Goldberg to kidnap a particular individual in order to force him to issue a ‘get’ to his wife. The individual, known as the CS, provided the FBI with information about conversations he had with Liebowitz and Goldberg, including a meeting on or about July 6 or July 7, during which they discussed how to carry out the kidnapping.
The CS also reported that Liebowitz and Goldberg agreed to advance him $25,000 to assist in planning the kidnapping, and that an envelope containing approximately $25,000 cash was delivered to the CS within days of the initial meeting. On or about August 9, 2016, the CS met with Liebowitz and Goldberg in Kiryas Joel, New York, to discuss additional details of the kidnapping plan.
The two men are charged with conspiring to kidnap and murder an individual in order to obtain a religious divorce for that individual’s wife. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the NYPD, with the assistance of the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Liebowitz and Goldberg will be presented later today before Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman in federal court in Manhattan. The defendants are accused of conspiring to kidnap and murder an individual in order to force him to issue a ‘get,’ a document required by Jewish law for a woman to be released from her marriage.
According to the allegations in the Complaint, Liebowitz and Goldberg met repeatedly to plan the kidnapping and to pay more than $55,000 to an individual they believed would carry it out. The two men are accused of conspiring to kidnap and murder an individual in order to force him to issue a ‘get,’ a document required by Jewish law for a woman to be released from her marriage.
Related Federal Cases
- Nicholas Tartaglione, Cocaine Conspiracy and Quadruple Murder, New York 2016 · New York
- Johnny Ray Gasca, Kidnapping, New York 2021 · Pennsylvania
- Ahmed Altorei, Narcotics Conspiracy, New York 2022 · New York
- Maximiliano Davila Perez, Coke Conspiracy, New York NY, 2023 · Pennsylvania
- Mykola Zhytnichenko, Attempted Murder, New York 2023 · New York
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
