Rabbi Eliezer Berland returns to prison:
Hundreds of the rabbi's followers demonstrated and prayed last night (Wednesday) in front of the Ayalon prison complex in Ramla, which Berland will enter this morning, three and a half years after he was released from it.
As you may recall, Berland was convicted last April of receiving anything by fraud, extortion, attempted intimidation, tax offenses and money laundering.
According to the plea agreement signed with him, he confessed to the acts and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but most of them had already been served while he was in custody for a long time, and now he has only five left.
Berland was also fined NIS 2.5 million in favor of the state, paid compensation to the victims of the crime and sentenced to probation for one year.
Going back to jail.
Rabbi Eliezer Berland, Photo: Miriam Tzachi
According to the first indictment, Berland committed a series of deceptions against people who asked him to make "redemption", based on the status that Berland had cultivated over the years in front of his community, and the perception that he has special powers that can make people heal their troubles through payment. Amounts of money.
In accordance with the pattern of action described in the eight incidents in which he was convicted, Berland told the applicants that if they paid him a sum of money, which in most cases was NIS 20,000-5,000, their loved one would be cured and the patient would pass, while Berland knew the above facts were incorrect. , But the result promised by Berland was not fulfilled.In some cases a first false promise was given, and after the cure did not occur, Berland again gave another false promise for which an additional sum was paid.
Rabbi Berland's followers pray outside Ayalon Prison, Photo: Marco
According to the second indictment in which he was convicted, while Berland was in custody at Zalmon Prison he conveyed a recorded message in his voice for his community of believers that "they should be beaten to death, their bones broken, to ... and ... that they behave like a man and a woman, and they go through all A minute of stoning, burning, killing and suffocation, commands everyone to break their bones, literally "because of the position that the behavior of those people who ordered them to be beaten is contrary to Torah law, thus committing an offense of attempting to threaten.
According to the third charge in which he was convicted of fraud or deceit with intent to evade paying taxes, Berland refrained from reporting to the tax authorities his income as part of a business he ran, which included "soul redemption" activities, giving blessings, counseling in various fields and home circles. Millions of shekels.
According to the fourth charge in which he was convicted of money laundering offenses, Berland made use of the funds received and not reported to the tax authorities.
Among other things, he acted through others at a currency service provider belonging to his followers, while concealing his identity as a beneficiary of the funds.
In addition, he used various associations to disguise the prohibited property.