Rabbi Israel Goldstein lost a finger in the antisemitic shooting attack in Pavi San Diego in April 2019, but has now also lost his liberty due to a major tax fraud he committed.
A judge sentenced Rabbi Goldstein to 14 months in prison, but will have them in his home.
"Not only did you commit this offense yourself, but you also took many people with you," District Court Judge Cynthia Bashant told Rabbi Goldstein.
In 2019, John Ernest broke into the Chabad synagogue in Pavi during prayer and opened fire. He murdered Lori Gilbert Kay, who was praying at the scene, and wounded Rabbi Goldstein who confronted him. He then fled the scene and was caught. Last week the killer was sentenced to life without prison. Possibility of early release.
The shooting scene at Pavay Synagogue, California, USA // Photo: Reuters
But alongside the deadly attack, Rabbi Goldstein in those days faced a federal investigation into a tax fraud, in which donors made a donation to the synagogue but then received most of the money back, which allowed the donor to claim a tax deduction.
In 2020, Rabbi Goldstein pleaded guilty to tax fraud, and together with his accomplices in the plot, he was ordered to pay $ 2.8 million in compensation.
After it became clear that he was under investigation, the Chabad headquarters decided to fire him, and Rabbi Goldstein eventually retired in November 2019, seven months after the attack.
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