Syrian Rabbi Admits Corruption to FBI!

Rabbi Saul Kassin, the 89-year old "spiritual leader" of the nation's largest Syrian Sephardic Jewish congregation, admitted Monday his role in a scheme that uses religious charities to launder tens of thousands of dollars. Kassin, who pleaded guilty to one count of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, admitted he transmitted between $200,000 and $400,000 through his charity Magen Israel Society between June 2007 and December 2008. The transactions were arranged by Solomon Dwek, a disgraced developer, who was secretly working for the FBI, after he was arrested in an unrelated $50 million bank fraud. The massive sting operation came to light in July 2009, when Kassin and four other Orthodox rabbis, along with three mayors, two assemblymen and dozens of other public officials, and many more in the "religious" community, were arrested on myriad charges ranging from money laundering to political corruption. One man was even charged with brokering black-market kidneys. Kassin said Dwek gave him bank checks and he made out checks payable - less 10 percent commission - to charitable organizations, knowing the money was NOT for charitable purposes.