“IDF Radio” (Galei Zahal) reports that that a plea bargain is close in the US trial of Israeli underworld kingpin Zeev Rosenstein. Ten days before the scheduled start of the evidence stage of his trial on criminal conspiracy charges in a Miami court, the parties agreed to sign a plea bargain on Tuesday under which Rosenstein, 51, will return to Israel to serve a 12-year jail sentence.
The parties also agreed that Rosenstein will plead guilty on smuggling 700,000 ecstasy pills to the US via Europe and Australia, rather than the one million pills in the original indictment. He was extradited to the US nine months ago.
Rosenstein’s jail term began with the date of his arrest two years ago. This means that he will be out in seven years if three years are reduced from his sentence as his associates hope.
Even before the current plea bargain in the US, an agreement was reached that, even if an Israeli court finds Rosenstein guilty on other charges, his sentence will not exceed 12 years.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on January 14, 2007
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