{"id":14152,"date":"2015-07-31T11:59:02","date_gmt":"2015-07-31T18:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=14152"},"modified":"2015-07-31T11:59:02","modified_gmt":"2015-07-31T18:59:02","slug":"notorious-israeli-gangster-sentenced-to-32-years-in-l-a-for-drug-trafficking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=14152","title":{"rendered":"Notorious Israeli Gangster Sentenced to 32 Years in L.A. for Drug Trafficking"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\"Moshe<\/a>
Moshe Matsri<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A man linked to one of the most notorious organized crime rings in Israel and who on his own operated \u201ca vast international criminal conspiracy engaged in drug trafficking and money laundering\u201d was sentenced today to 32 years in federal prison, officials said.<\/p>\n

U.S. District Judge S. James Otero<\/strong> sentenced Moshe Matsri<\/strong>, 48, of Tarzana, after he was found guilty\u00a0by a federal jury last October of numerous crimes including conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine, eight counts of money laundering and attempted distribution of at least five kilograms of cocaine, officials said.<\/p>\n

Matsri, who is also known as \u201cMoshe the Religious,\u201d is a well-known crime figure in the San Fernando Valley, according to authorities.<\/p>\n

He has significant ties to the Abergil organized crime family<\/strong>, which is based in Israel and also operates internationall, officials said.<\/p>\n

\"DEA<\/a>Matsri was found guilty following a two-week trial that also led to the conviction of Shay Paniry,<\/strong> 36, of Studio City, on drug trafficking, money laundering and extortion charges.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this criminal corporation, [Paniry] was middle management, taking orders directly from Matsri and making sure the dirty work was done, whether he did it himself or recruited others to do it for him,\u201d prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo for Paniry.<\/p>\n

In a hearing yesterday, Judge Otero sentenced Paniry to 210 months in federal prison.<\/p>\n

Matsri and Paniry have been in custody since July 12, 2013, when they and several co-defendants were arrested as the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201c(Matsri) was the leader of a vast international criminal conspiracy engaged in drug trafficking and money laundering across multiple continents,\u201d prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court.<\/strong> \u201cAs CEO of this multi-faceted criminal business, [Matsri] used his extensive, sophisticated network to move over $660,000 in cash he believed were drug proceeds across international borders and across the United States, in exchange for over $57,000 in commissions.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Matsri and his co-defendants \u201cconducted complex, layered transactions to wire money through shell accounts in locations as far-flung as the Marshall Islands, Cyprus, and Gibraltar,\u201d according to the sentencing memo that also outlines how Matsri \u201cused a network of trusted individuals to bypass the financial system entirely, using \u2018hawala\u2019 transactions to move cash instantaneously from New York to Los Angeles, and from Vancouver to Los Angeles.\u201d<\/p>\n

The evidence showed that Matsri agreed to help two undercover agents \u2013 he thought they were a Colombian drug trafficker and his Los Angeles-based associate \u2013 transport what he believed to be cocaine from Los Angeles to Utah in a car with a hidden trap compartment, and collect what believed to be a $40,000 drug debt using vandalism and threats of violence.<\/p>\n

Matsri also developed a plan to ship 40 pounds of cocaine from Panama to Israel, and he paid $79,500 in cash for his share of the deal.<\/p>\n

In addition, Matsri proposed a deal to purchase 220 pounds of cocaine on credit in Los Angeles for sale in New York, a deal that culminated in his arrest nearly two years ago.<\/p>\n

In addition to Matsri and Paniry, the indictment names several co-defendants:<\/strong><\/p>\n