Rabbi charged with stealing $15.5m from disabled kids

A New York rabbi and three men are accused of stealing over US$12.4 million (S$15.5m) in public aid for disabled pre-schoolers.

They used the money to spruce up their homes, get catering discounts and fund a relative's cosmetics business, authorities said yesterday.

The stolen money was meant to benefit the Island Child Development Center in Queens, a non-profit special education provider for Orthodox Jewish children aged three to five.​

The four men -  Ira Kurman, 52, former executive director of the center; Rabbi Samuel Hiller, 56, former assistant director of the center; Roy Hoffmann, 50, an auditor; and Daniel Laniado, 41, an investor face charges that include grand larceny, identify theft and falsifying business records. 

Hoffman spent $300,000 for a house redesign and diverted $15,000 to his wife's make-up business. Hiller spent $30,000 on home plumbing work, the prosecutor said.

If convicted, each faces up to 25 years in prison.

Source: Reuters, The New York Times

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