"This raid, if the suspicions are confirmed, would show that they were willing to screw over American taxpayers, not just the people in their communities."

FBI Raids Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Schools in New York Suspected of Defrauding Government Tech Program

March 17, 2016 by Hemant Mehta 63 Comments

For years now, ultra-Orthodox Jewish schools in New York have been receiving tens of millions of dollars in funding from the federal government as part of a program called E-rate, which The Jewish Week explained “subsidizes telecommunications services and infrastructure for schools and libraries.”

There’s a story to be written about why private religious schools should be receiving taxpayer funding at all, but the bigger story right now is that ultra-Orthodox Jews essentially forbid their community from using the Internet. (After all, knowledge might pop their bubble.) Which means they’re getting a lot of money to increase their technological capabilities… even though the students aren’t allowed to use it.


Yesterday, the FBI raided dozens of Jewish schools and local vendors in the city of Ramapo to investigate what appears to be widespread fraud:

… [FBI agents and investigators were] demanding that vendors and yeshivas provide records and account for equipment allegedly bought by religious schools with millions in federal education technology dollars.
…
The FBI-led raids, which involved 22 separate search warrants in Ramapo, are part of an investigation into whether local yeshivas properly spent money obtained through the federal government’s E-Rate program…
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In a statement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said: “Today, the FBI, working with our office, conducted searches in connection with an ongoing fraud investigation. If and when charges are filed, they will eventually become public. This remains an ongoing matter, and we are unable to provide any additional information at this time.”

Needless to say, this doesn’t appear to surprise people familiar with the districts involved. I’m legally obligated to link to the excellent episode of This American Life discussing one of the public school districts in East Ramapo that was taken over by ultra-Orthodox Jews who were frustrated that they had to pay property taxes for the schools when their children didn’t even attend. By winning a majority of board seats, they were able to decimate the system for everyone else.

This raid, if the suspicions are confirmed, would show that they were willing to screw over American taxpayers, not just the people in their communities.

WHADDYA EXPECT FROM JEW-HATING ANTI-SEMITIC ATHEISTS?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/03/17/fbi-raids-ultra-orthodox-jewish-schools-in-new-york-suspected-of-defrauding-government-tech-program/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=friendlyatheist_031716UTC050309_daily&utm_content=&spMailingID=50941513&spUserID=MTc4NDYwODA0MTQ0S0&spJobID=882184215&spReportId=ODgyMTg0MjE1S0

FBI Raids Rockland Firms As Part Of Yeshiva Fraud Probe

Feds demanding for proof that ultra-Orthodox schools used federal technology funds for intended purpose. 

 In a potentially related development, The Journal News reported Wednesday that the FBI had used an Orthodox Jewish radio program and a haredi Orthodox informant in a sting operation that led to the conviction of several Rockland County officials in a corruption scandal.

The 2013 Jewish Week report found that haredi Orthodox schools that publicly eschew the Internet were awarded millions of dollars for tech equipment and Internet wiring.

In 2011, for example, Jewish schools — the vast majority of them haredi Orthodox — were awarded 22 percent of the E-rate funds in New York State, even though they enroll only 4 percent of the state’s students.
That year, of the $30 million approved for E-rate purchases at almost 300 New York Jewish schools participating in the program, nearly $9 million went to 10 schools — all but one Hasidic. Those schools, among them United Talmudical Academy in Williamsburg, which was reportedly raided Wednesday, were collectively awarded nearly $9 million in E-rate-funded services.

http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new-york/fbi-raids-rockland-firms-part-yeshiva-fraud-probe?utm_source=Yeshiva+probe+breaking+news&utm_campaign=FBI+Raid+&utm_medium=email