Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto
Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, the real estate advisor accused of attempting to bribe an Israeli police officer, is leaving house arrest for Israel this weekend as part of the ongoing investigation.
Pinto, the head of a New York-based nonprofit called Mosdot Shuva Israel and an advisor to several high-profile real estate figures, was arrested after millions of dollars connected to his real estate investments disappeared, as The Real Deal previously reported.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein told Haaretz more serious charges could still be brought against Pinto. It was not clear if he would testify in the case.
Pinto’s nonprofit was under investigation when he allegedly offered a roughly $57,000 bribe to Ephraim Bracha, a senior police officer who is now the commander of Israel’s National Fraud Squad, for information on the case.
Pinto claims that he was a victim of extortion and was instructed to deliver a suitcase full of money to Bracha, as The Real Deal previously reported. [Haaretz] – Angela Hunt