Rabbi Admits to Conspiring to Violently Coerce Divorce

An Orthodox Jewish rabbi admitted to conspiring to travel to Edison, New Jersey to violently extort a Jewish man into giving his wife a religious divorce, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said.

Martin Wolmark, 56, of Monsey, New York, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce to commit extortion, according to the United States Department of Justice.

According to court documents, Wolmark, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, spoke with a woman about getting a religious divorce -- commonly known as a “get” -- from her husband on Aug. 7, 2013. Wolmark was unaware the woman and the man posing as her brother, who accompanied her to the meeting with the rabbi, were undercover Federal Bureau of Investigations agents, the DOJ said.

The conversation between the three individuals was recorded, during which Wolmark said there were two ways to go about obtaining a get from such a recalcitrant husband, according to the DOJ. One of which was to “nail him.”

Wolmark suggested that the agents speak with Mendel Epstein, who he said had previously used violence to extort uncooperative husbands into giving their wives a get. The agents met with Epstein at his home to discuss the case on Aug. 14, 2013, and then on Oct. 2, 2013, Wolmark called for a rabinnical court with Epstein and Jay Goldstein at his office in Suffern, New York. The female agent attended the meeting, during which Epstein openly spoke about his plan to kidnap and assault the purported husband in order to obtain the get according to the Department of Justice.

On Oct. 9, 2013, a group of conspirators -- including Jay Goldstein, Moshe Goldstein, Avrohom Goldstein, Simcha Bulmash, Ariel Potash, Binyamin Stimler and Sholom Shuchat -- traveled from New York to Edison, New Jersey, set to force the purported husband using threats and violence into giving his wife a get, the DOJ said.

Six of the aforementioned conspirators pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion.

According to court documents, the charge Wolmark pleaded guilty to carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

Wolmark is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2015.