Israel’s Supreme Court upheld Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto’s plea bargain and the rabbi will face a maximum of one year in prison.
Pinto, who has served as the adviser to some of New York City’s major real estate players, will become the state’s witness against former Israeli police major-general Menashe Arbiv, according to the Yeshiva World News.
Pinto admitted to bribing a senior Israeli police officer in 2012 in return for access into his police file. As previously reported, Pinto offered $200,000 to brigadier general Ephraim Bracha, who was the chief of the police investigation division and was investigating the rabbi for suspected money laundering.
Ofer Biton, one of Pinto’s former aides, was arrested in August 2012. Pinto was arrested in October 2012 on bribery charges and alleged money laundering. [The Yeshiva World News] — Claire Moses