Yesterday afternoon, Lakewood real estate developer Eliyahu Weinstein was charged with “masterminding” a $200 million scam to defraud investors, starting in September 2005. Along with Vladimir Siforov, Weinstein target Orthodox Jews in his community, “exploiting social and business customs.” And while theirs is not a business model you probably want to aspire to, there is at least one helpful thing to take away from the charges. Specifically, the ones cited in court documents vis-à-vis how Weinstein dealt with investors who wanted their money back. Even if you’re not running a scam, you probably still have to deal with the headache of clients getting all pissy when you have a down month or two, and when that happens, perhaps consider the following approach.

6. When victim-investors sought to collect their earnings, or at least recoup their investment from defendant WEINSTEIN, he reacted in different ways: at times he would ignore them; other times he would tell them their money was forthcoming, and then not pay; and on some occasions he would pay a smaller amount. In one example, a victim-investor’s representative went to defendant WEINSTEIN’s home and demanded to speak with defendant WEINSTEIN about the victim-investor’s investment. Defendant WEINSTEIN eventually came outside and asked the representative what the representative’s wife and WEINSTEIN “have in common.” When the representative answered “I don’t know,” defendant WEINSTEIN replied “we both fucked you.”

Criminal Complaint [APP]

Comments (23)

  1. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 2:47 PM

    Bess, think you may have an error in the best part of the quote (the word wife is missing in the quote as it appears right now)

  2. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 2:51 PM

    Still not quite right. It’s the representative’s wife, not Weinstein’s wife

  3. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 2:53 PM

    Cool, thanks. (Yes, I realize your edits probably weren’t at all driven by my comments.) Have a great weekend

  4. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 2:55 PM

    Bess, I love you but can we please stop with the vis-a-vis? It needs to join Minetta’s and Soviet Russia jokes in timeout.

  5. Posted by Bess Levin | August 13, 2010 at 2:56 PM

    @4 the v-a-v’s are not use anywhere near as much as those “jokes.” but if you can promise I’ll never have to read one of them again, I’ll dump the v-a-v.

  6. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 2:57 PM

    So Weinstein had sex with the male representative? I like the confidence he exudes, major turn-on. “I’m going to fuck you.”

  7. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 2:59 PM

    And to think “they” belittle those of us who oppose Americans holding more than one passport.

  8. Posted by JerseyShorePatrol | August 13, 2010 at 3:00 PM

    Lame, but I already trademarked STFU&M(tm) “Shut the f up & maintain” a long time ago.

  9. Posted by Anonymouse | August 13, 2010 at 3:02 PM

    @4 How bout you come over to Minetta’s so that we can argue vis-a-vis Soviet Russia jokes? Afterwards we can have a dinner vis-a-vis.

  10. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 3:02 PM

    Anybody know if the Wilpons were involved in this too?

    –Mets fan

  11. Posted by karry ludlow | August 13, 2010 at 3:04 PM

    There ya go, oooooooo, I hear a nobel prize on that one.

    -Karry Ludlow

  12. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 3:05 PM

    Would YOU let Vickle tickle your pickle?

  13. Posted by guest | August 13, 2010 at 3:07 PM

    In Soviet Russia vis-à-vis dumps you!

    -guy who is so sorry, I don’t even smile at these, I roll my eyes, but I’m like John Mack with the cheap mortgage money.

  14. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 3:07 PM

    The criminal complaint against him states that Weinstein maintained multiple passports. Weinstein, the complaint concludes, showed a passport to one of his “victim-investors” and said, “if I want to run away, I can.”

  15. Posted by PermaGuest | August 13, 2010 at 3:08 PM

    @4 What is your position vis-a-vis Soviet Russia and Minetta Tavern?

  16. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 3:09 PM

    Rick and Ron going at it on CNBC – nice. Rick is such as ass wipe

  17. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 3:15 PM

    Anyone Movin Out to a New York State of Mind this evening? If so, Tell Her About It and see The Entertainer paddle through the River of Dreams while the Night is Still Young. You May Be Right in saying that She’s Always a Woman but we wary of The Stranger as he he Says Goodnight to Saigon.

  18. Posted by CC | August 13, 2010 at 3:33 PM

    The guy should start writing for Hallmark. Check out this beauty from the indictment:

    “You’re right, we fucked you. Get over it. Don’t you wanna solve the problem?”

  19. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 3:35 PM

    @17 STFU KOUWE

  20. Posted by Ginzo | August 13, 2010 at 4:46 PM

    Defendant WEINSTEIN eventually came outside and asked the representative what the representative’s wife and WEINSTEIN “have in common.” When the representative answered “I don’t know,” defendant WEINSTEIN replied “we’re both penny pinching thieves who would do anything for money and also that religion thing too.”

  21. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 5:00 PM

    But did he fuck them until they loved him?

  22. Posted by Anonymous | August 13, 2010 at 5:16 PM

    If he was eating Twizzlers this effort would have been diamonds

    -LD

  23. Posted by DJ LIBOR | August 13, 2010 at 5:44 PM

    @21 I’m gonna make you my girlfriend

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