Rabbi Saul Kassin, the 89-year-old spiritual leader of the nation’s largest Syrian Sephardic Jewish congregation, admitted Monday his role in a scheme that used religious charities to launder tens of thousands of dollars.
The massive sting operation came to light in July 2009, when Kassin and four other Orthodox rabbis, along with three mayors, two assemblymen and dozens of other public officials and many more in the religious community, were arrested on myriad charges ranging from money laundering to political corruption. One man was charged with brokering black-market kidneys.
Kassin said Dwek gave him bank checks and he made out checks payable — less a 10 percent commission — to charitable organizations, knowing the money was not for charitable purposes.