JERUSALEM: Israeli court discusses extradition of 11 wanted in U.S. for lottery fraud

Record ID: 572594

  • Title: JERUSALEM: Israeli court discusses extradition of 11 wanted in U.S. for lottery fraud
  • Date: 24th July 2009
  • Summary: JERUSALEM (JULY 23, 2009) (REUTERS) SHACKLED FEET OF ISRAELIS, SUSPECTED IN US LOTTERY FRAUD CASE, WALKING TOWARDS COURT ROOM ISRAELI SUSPECTS WALKING WITH FACES COVERED COVERED SUSPECTS WALKING INTO COURT ROOM SUSPECTS COVERED WHILE SITTING IN COURT VARIOUS OF LEGAL TEAMS IN COURTROOM DOCUMENT FROM UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROSECUTING ATTORNEY TAL SAYING: "This is an extremely serious case, where the defendants defrauded United States nationals of tens of millions of dollars, almost all of them elderly, caused grave damage to the complainants, to the victims, and we believe the right place to prosecute them is in the United States. The United States has asked for their extradition, wants to prosecute them, and we hope the court will accept our position." LAWYERS IN COURTROOM LAWYER TALKING TO PRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEFENCE ATTORNEY DAVID YIFTAKH SAYING: "The fact that the old people who paid the money, who were cheated, are Americans doesn't mean the case should be in America. We trust our legal system and our judges to give justice and we think that the trial should take place in Israel." VARIOUS OF LAWYERS IN COURT ROOM
  • Embargoed: 8th August 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5WOOOUAHIGH9APOFV8YVNO4Y7
  • Story Text: The U.S. Government has asked for the extradition of 11 Israelis who are suspects in a lottery fraud case. Israeli prosecutors on Thursday (July 23) sought court approval to extradite 11 people wanted in the United States on charges of operating a fraud which cheated elderly victims out of more than 25 million USD.

    Criminal indictments unsealed in a district court in Manhattan on Tuesday (July 21) accuse 12 people of phoning victims in the United States and falsely telling them they had won an international lottery.

    Victims were told they needed to pay thousands of dollars in fees and taxes before claiming their prizes, authorities said. There was no lottery and the victims never received prizes after sending money to the defendants in Israel, U.S. officials said.

    The 11 appeared in a Jerusalem court on Thursday with their feet shackled together and their faces covered.

    Prosecuting attorney Tal said the right place for them to stand trial was the United States.

    "This is an extremely serious case, where the defendants defrauded United States nationals with tens of millions of dollars, almost all of them elderly, caused grave damage to the complainants and we believe the right place to prosecute them is in the United States," she said.

    Defence attorney David Yiftakh argued that the trial should take place in Israel, regardless of where the victims were from.

    "The fact that the old people who paid the money are Americans doesn't mean that the case should be in America. We trust our legal system and our judges to give justice and we think that the trial should take place in Israel," he said.

    Prosecutors have demanded that the 11 remain in custody until they are extradited to the United States, the Justice Ministry said but it did not say why only 11 people, and not 12, as stated in the U.S. indictment, had been arrested.

    The indictment filed charged the 12 with conspiracy to commit fraud through an Israel-based telemarketing firm. Several also were charged with mail fraud and wire fraud.
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