Borough Park, NY - A Brooklyn Orthodox Man is under arrest and facing charges of bribery and witness tampering for allegedly paying an individual to accuse another Orthodox Man of sexual abuse.
The Man was arrested Tuesday night. The Brooklyn district attorney has scheduled a news conference.
The man is accused of paying a witness to say he was abused by another man, who was sentenced a year ago to 32 years in prison after he was convicted of child molestation.
Defense lawyers for the man were expected in court Wednesday to try and argue their client should be released.
A Brooklyn rabbi is under arrest and facing charges of bribery and witness tampering for allegedly paying an individual to accuse another rabbi of sexual abuse.
Sources tell NBC New York that Samuel Kellner was arrested Tuesday night. The Brooklyn district attorney has scheduled a news conference but has declined comment ahead of the announcement.
Kellner is accused of paying a witness to say he was abused by Rabbi Baruch Lebovits, who was sentenced a year ago to 32 years in prison after he was convicted of child molestation.
Defense lawyers for Lebovits were expected in court Wednesday to try and argue their client should be released.
It was not immediately clear whether Kellner had an attorney.
NEW YORK — Authorities say a man is charged with paying a child $10,000 to falsely testify that a Brooklyn rabbi had sexually abused him.
The rabbi, Baruch Lebovits, was sentenced last year to up to 32 years in prison.
District Attorney Charles J. Hynes says a new indictment charges Samuel Kellner with perjury.
The prosecutor says Kellner found out in 2008 that the rabbi had been accused of molesting a child, then got the second child to make similar claims.
Kellner also is accused of demanding $400,000 from the rabbi's family while saying he could have other children make allegations against him.
The name of Kellner's attorney was not immediately on record.
Updated: Wednesday, 13 Apr 2011, 12:07 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 13 Apr 2011, 9:27 AM EDT
BY KATHY CARVAJAL
MYFOXNY.COM - A Brooklyn man faces several charges including perjury and conspiracy for allegedly paying a child to testify that he had been abused by a rabbi, according to the Brooklyn district attorney.
Kellner, a self-proclaimed rabbi, was arrested Tuesday night.
Rabbi Baruch Lebovits was sentenced to 32 years in prison last year after he was convicted of child molestation, according to the D.A.
In 2008, Kellner allegedly gave a child $10,000 to lie after he learned that Lebovits had been accused of molesting another child. Kellner is also accused of demanding $400,000 from Lebovits' family or he would have other children make similar allegations, reported the Associated Press.
The Brooklyn District Attorney will announce charges against Kellner on Wednesday.
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In a press conference held this morning Kings County DA Charles Hynes released the following information:
The indictment charges that, in 2008, after a Borough Park man learned that Mr. L had been accused of sexually molesting a child, the man paid a second child $10,000 to falsely claim that L. also abused him. Both children testified before a Kings County Grand Jury which ultimately charged L with both misdemeanor and felony sex abuse counts.
According to the indictment against the man. he next sent emissaries to the L. family demanding $400,000, in exchange for which, the man would prevent those witnesses from testifying at trial and prevent a third “victim” from coming forward, according to the indictment. The L.. family did not comply with the demand, and in November 2008, a third “victim” did come forward, the indictment charges. the man later threatened to bring a fourth “victim” to testify, according to the indictment.
In March 2010 L. was convicted of eight counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree, with the testimony of the third witness. The second witness did not testify at the trial.