Former slaughterhouse CEO granted new bail hearing
Former slaughterhouse CEO granted new bail hearing
By NIGEL DUARA
Jan. 18, 2009, 6:57PM
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The former chief executive officer of the nation's largest kosher meatpacking plant was granted a new hearing over whether he should remained jail as he awaits a trial on charges stemming from a large immigration raid.
Chief U.S. District Court judge Linda Reade said in an order last week she will hear testimony and consider written evidence at the new bail hearing Thursday for former Agriprocessors CEO Sholom Rubashkin.
He originally faced 12 counts of bank fraud, harboring illegal immigrants, document fraud and identity theft. He and three other men were named in a 99-count indictment last Thursday that added charges of money laundering and violating orders from the U.S. agriculture secretary.
The Postville plant was raided May 12 by immigration officials, leading to the arrests of 389 people.
Rubashkin has pleaded not guilty and is being held at the Dubuque County Jail. An earlier request to be released was rejected our of fears that he might flee to Israel.
Prosecutors also have alleged Rubashkin tried to tamper with evidence after earlier being released from jail on Oct. 30. He was returned to jail after being arrested on bank fraud allegations.
U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Bob Teig said the order for the new bail hearing was "not unexpected," but declined to comment further.
Rubashkin attorney Guy Cook said Saturday in an e-mail to The Associated Press that Rubashkin's defense team would be presenting witnesses to back up claims that Rubashkin was not a flight risk.
His defense also said the invocation of an Israeli emigration law, called the Law of Return, improperly clouded evidence against Rubashkin at an earlier bail hearing.
Along with the federal charges against Rubashkin, Agriprocessors and top managers have been accused of violating state and federal laws dealing with child labor, wage requirements and safety rules. The company has filed for bankruptcy protection.
If convicted, Rubashkin faces up to 30 years in prison and a minimum fine of $1 million on each of the bank fraud counts, the most serious of the charges.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/ ... 18329.html