NYC Gazette

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Yakov Weingarten, Shmiel Weingarten, and Yoil Weingarten were sentenced yesterday to 14 years, 14 years, and 12 years in prison, respectively, for child sexual exploitation and kidnapping offenses. The defendants, leaders of an extremist religious sect called Lev Tahor, masterminded a scheme to kidnap a 14-year-old girl (“Minor-1”) and a 12-year-old boy (“Minor-2”) from their mother in Woodridge, New York. The defendants then smuggled the children across the U.S. border to Mexico, where they reunited Minor-1 with her adult “husband” to allow him to continue his illegal sexual relationship with Minor-1. The defendants were convicted in March 2024 following a five-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The sentencing of the Weingarten brothers holds them accountable for kidnapping children from their mother in the middle of the night, including for the purpose of coercing a child into a sexual relationship with an adult. This Office will do everything in its power to protect children and use every available tool to investigate and prosecute those who sexually exploit them.”

According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and the evidence presented at trial:

The Weingarten brothers—Yakov, Shmiel, and Yoil—are U.S. citizens and senior leaders of Lev Tahor, an extremist religious sect that has been located in several different jurisdictions including New York, Israel, Canada, Mexico, and Guatemala. Lev Tahor leaders embraced several extreme practices including forced family separations, child marriages, and underage sex.

In or about 2017, Lev Tahor leaders arranged for a 12-year-old girl (Minor-1) to be “married” to an 18-year-old man. Though they were never legally married they were religiously “married” the following year when Minor-1 was 13 and her “husband” was 19. Lev Tahor leadership required young brides such as Minor-1 to have sex with their husbands; tell people outside Lev Tahor that they were not married; and lie about their ages. For example Lev Tahor leaders instructed child brides to deliver babies inside their homes instead of at a hospital to conceal the mothers’ young ages from outsiders.

In or about October 2018 the mother of Minor-1 determined that it was no longer safe for her children to remain in the Lev Tahor community which was then living in Guatemala. The mother escaped from the group’s compound arrived in the U.S. in early November 2018; she was eventually joined by all six of her children including Minor-1. Also in November 2018 a Brooklyn family court granted her sole custody of the children prohibiting their father (a leader within Lev Tahor) from communicating with them.

After fleeing settling in New York with her children; The Weingartens devised a plan to kidnap Minor-1 (then aged fourteen) return her back Guatemala alongside brother attempting reunite 'husband'. December same year middle night abducted transported various states finally reaching Mexico order execute plot utilized disguises aliases drop phones fake travel documents encrypted application time kidnapping seeking asylum entire community Islamic Republic Iran.

Following three-week search involving hundreds local federal international law enforcement entities both minors recovered returned March unsuccessful attempts re-kidnap occurred subsequent years.

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In addition prison terms Yakov (34), Shmiel (28), Yoil (36), each hailing Guatemala sentenced five years supervised release.

Mr Williams praised outstanding work Federal Bureau Investigation New York State Police Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office Customs Border Protection Rockland County Sheriff’s Department Village Spring Valley Police Department Special Agents U.S Attorney's Office Southern District Department State Transportation Security Administration partners Mexico Canada Israel handling case White Plains Division Assistant Attorneys Sam Adelsberg Jamie Bagliebter Jim Ligtenberg paralegal specialist Shannon Becker charge prosecution.