Tuesday, July 14, 2009

NY-based rabbi agrees to plead guilty in LA case

LOS ANGELES—The head of an Orthodox Jewish group has agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge stemming from what prosecutors say was a decade-long tax fraud and money laundering scheme.

Naftali Tzi Weisz (naf-TALL-e, ZEE, WHY-z) could face up to five years in prison after signing a plea agreement last week that is contingent on other co-defendants also pleading guilty to various charges.

An e-mail message left for Weisz's attorneys was not immediately returned Monday.

Prosecutors say Weisz and others helped donors avoid paying federal income taxes by having them make contributions to charitable groups run by Spinka, a New York-based Orthodox Jewish group led by Weisz.

U.S. attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek says an agreement with the charitable organizations is almost finished.

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