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Solomon Dwek

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Solomon Dwek (also known by his Hebrew name Shlomo שלמה) (born c. 1973) of Deal Park, a neighborhood in Ocean Township, New Jersey is a convicted felon of Sephardic Syrian Orthodox Jewish descent and a former Real Estate investor who became an FBI informant.

Solomon Dwek
File:Solomon Dwek PNC.jpeg
Criminal statuson bail awaiting sentencing (currently acting as a government witness)
SpousePearl Dwek
Children5 Children. Born approx. 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006.
Parent(s)Rabbi Isaac Dwek, Raizel Dwek
Conviction(s)Pled gulity: Bank fraud (Federal), misconduct by a corporate official (State)

Personal profile

Dwek led the Deal Yeshiva, (a non-profit Orthodox Jewish religious school which his parents founded) as vice-president, and ran a real estate empire based on a pyramid scheme in and around Monmouth County under multiple business names. The investors defrauded by Dwek were also members of the local Syrian Jewish community including relatives of his, such as his uncle Joseph Dwek of Brooklyn, who was defrauded of $60.2 million. Dwek was well respected and trusted due to the reputation of his parents (who founded a yeshiva), as well as his appearance as a successful businessman. Prior to his arrest, Dwek was well known for his philanthropy both inside and outside of the Jewish community; such as in 1998 when he befriended Ryan Michael Saberon, a 7 year old non-Jewish boy with terminal cancer whose medical and funeral expenses were paid by him. Dwek also donated money to fund the construction of a memorial monument to Frank Caltabilota; a local student who was killed in the Boland Hall fire at Seton Hall University in 2000. In addition, Dwek personally financed over $30,000 to refurbish the Lumia Theater in Long Branch, New Jersey.

Business dealings

Some of the business names used by Dwek included; Dwek Properties LLC, Corbett Holdings II LLC and SEM Realty Associates LLC among many others under which Dwek owned a combined 316 area properties at the time of his arrest by the FBI in 2006, for a $50 million bank fraud involving PNC Bank. After his arrest, he became an informant for the FBI in a private sting called Operation Bid Rig which resulted in the arrest of 44 people in the state of New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York City including public officials, politicians, and 3 Orthodox Rabbis from a Syrian Jewish background. PNC bank, along with two other financial firms filed an involuntary liquidation petition on Feb. 9, 2007, that forced Dwek into a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. He allegedly owes PNC $22.9 million, Washington Mutual Inc. $22.7 million and Four Star Builders $58,388. The bankruptcy was converted to a Chapter 11 reorganization.[1]

Arrest

On October 20th, 2009, Dwek plead guilty to federal bank fraud charges in US District Court in Newark, New Jersey and later that day plead guilty to "misconduct by a corporate official" in New Jersey Superior Court, Monmouth Vicinage in Freehold, New Jersey. Dwek was released on $10 million bond until a scheduled prison sentencing date of February 29th 2010. He was represented by lawyer Michael B. Himmel, who specializes in white collar criminal defense. On February 2nd, 2010, Deputy Mayor of Jersey City Leona Beldini, was convicted in Federal Court in Newark on 2 of 6 corruption related charges stemming from the FBI's Operation Bid Rig. The split verdict in Leona Beldini's case was hailed as a victory by both sides and may have cast doubt of the government's use of Solomon Dwek as an informant.[2][3] Leona Beldini was represented by prominent defense attorneys Brian J. Neary and S. Emile Lisboa IV.[4] During the trial, Dwek (who had posed as a corrupt developer "David Esenbach"[5] - while working as an informant) appeared as witness for the prosecution and hidden camera films of him interacting with Beldini were displayed as evidence. Dwek testified for five days and cried on the stand under cross examination by Brian J. Neary when asked whether he had any friends.[6] Dwek also testified that he bribed his math teacher in highschool in order to graduate.[7][8][9] During the trial, it was revealed that the government hired a private contractor (former F.B.I. agent) to conduct a wire tap of political consultant Jack Shaw's telephones. This same private contractor was hired by Dwek to provide security services and was paid $50,000 by Dwek. Dwek has been in hiding since his role as an informant became public.[10] On March 19, 2010, defense attorneys for Leona Beldini filed a motion to overturn the verdict.[11]

Aftermath

Given the fact that Dwek acted as an informant in Operation Bid Rig against individuals allegedly involved in organized crime, and has been under heavy security during his court appearances, it is likely he would be eligible to enter the United States Federal Witness Protection Program. The Syrian Jewish community in Monmouth County, New Jersey that Dwek came from, was quite surprised that he became a government informant against other Syrian Jews due to the fact that the community has a long-standing unwritten policy of blanket solidarity. After Solomon Dwek's role as an informant became public, his father Rabbi Issac Dwek gave a speech at the Deal Synagogue in which he stated that his son, Solomon was no longer welcome at his home and denounced the practice of acting as a government informant against other jews. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/regional/item_XezdmX81B2uEHc6euKYWFP

References

  1. ^ http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=azRuQei2G4Gc
  2. ^ http://www.vosizneias.com/49279/2010/02/13/newark-nj-split-verdict-in-dwek-corruption-trial-has-both-sides-claiming-a-measure-of-victory/
  3. ^ http://blog.nj.com/njv_bob_braun/2010/02/first_nj_corruption_trial_in_f.html
  4. ^ http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/beldini_defense_rests_in_nj_co.html
  5. ^ http://jewishbreakingnews.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/the-life-of-fbi-informant-shlomo-dwek-david-esenbach-defense-attorneys-dwek-would-never-shut-up/
  6. ^ http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/02/dwek_nearly_breaks_down_when_a.html
  7. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/30/nyregion/30corruption.html
  8. ^ http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2010/01/dwek-bribed-his-way-through-yeshiva-rigged-auctions-for-his-fathers-charity-567.html
  9. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/30/nyregion/30corruption.html
  10. ^ http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Feds-Informant-Testifies-in-Massive-NJ-Corruption-Trial-82957707.html
  11. ^ http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1269066314299500.xml&coll=3
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