Isaac Rosenbaum is Rabbi Arrested for Organ Trafficking

Issac Rosenbaum is a Rabbi arrested for organ trafficking in an FBI sting operation. See a video below. See updates as available. See updates below - latest July 25, 2009 Rabbi Rosenbaum is alleged to have agreed to procure a liver for an undercover officer's "sick uncle."

“Let me explain this to you,” said Rosenbaum on February 26, 2008 according to the court documents. “It’s illegal to buy [ a liver]. It’s illegal to sell.They are going to investigate him [the donor] not you, not your uncle. He’s going to speak to a social worker and a psychologist to find out why he is doing it… and it is our job to prepare him.”

The cost would be $160,000 for the liver donation – 50 percent up front – but Rosenbaum repeatedly made it clear, according to court papers, “It's illegal to buy or sell organs. .. . So you cannot buy it. What you do is, you're giving a compensation for the time . . . whatever–-he's not working. You can't even mention.”

Rabbi Isaac Rosenbaum is one of five Rabbi's arrested, along with Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim, Chief Rabbi Saul Kassin, Principal Rabbi Edmund Nahum, and Rabbi Mordchai Fish. While there are no details, an Israeli police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld is quoted as saying he has heard of this story but knows nothing of kidneys being sold by Israelis. Update 7-25-09: Rabbi Levy Izhak (Issac) Rosenbaum called himself a "matchmaker." The AP says that Rosenbaum bought black-markety kidneys from people in Israel for $10,000 and sold them in the U.S. for $160,000. If the charges alleged against Rosenbaum are true, this may be the first documented case of organ trafficking in the U.S.

"I am what you call a matchmaker," Rosenbaum said in a secretly recorded conversation. "I bring a guy what I believe, he's suitable for your uncle." Asked how many organs he had brokered, he said: "Quite a lot," the most recent two weeks earlier.

See a new video of Rabbi Rosenbaum here

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Organ Procurement Arrest Video

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