FBI: Hudson Valley Man, Rabbi Plotted Murder for Religious Divorce

A Hudson Valley man and a Rabbi from Israel are accused of conspiring to kidnap and murder another man so that man’s wife could get a religious divorce.

On Tuesday, Shimen Liebowitz, 25, of Monroe and 55-year-old Aharon Goldberg, of Bnei Brak, Israel, were arrested by the FBI in Central Valley while allegedly meeting to plan a kidnapping and murder.

According to the indictment, in early July, Liebowitz and Goldberg contacted an unnamed person to kidnap the intended victim, to get the victim to file for divorce. The unnamed individual then contacted the FBI.

According to Jewish religious law, in certain communities, a women can only get divorced if her husband consents or dies.

The FBI informant provided recorded conversations with Liebowitz and Goldberg. The three men discussed how the kidnap might take place, including the possibility of luring the victim to Pennsylvania, authorities said. They also allegedly discussed kidnapping the victim when he planned to travel to the Ukraine in late September.

Liebowitz and Goldberg also agreed to pay the FBI informant $25,000 for his part in the kidnapping.

In early August, the three men again met to discuss a kidnapping. Again the conversation was recorded by the FBI informant. Days after the meeting the informant received $20,000 to use for making arrangements for the kidnapping.

The informant also told the FBI there were other conversations that discussed killing the victim.

In late August, the informant met with Liebowitz in Central Valley and was paid an additional $12,000 to carry out the plan. The informant also spoke with Goldberg by phone, who was in Israel, about the plan and Goldberg’s desire that the informant kill the victim. This conversation was also recorded.

Around Sept. 2, the informant had a recorded conversation with Liebowitz where Liebowitz acknowledged that the victim was going to be killed.

Liebowitz and Goldberg were both charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to commit murder for hire. They both face a maximum penalty of life in prison.