Lev Tahor Leaders Sentenced in U.S. for Kidnapping and Exploitation Crimes

Federal authorities in the United States sentenced three senior leaders of the Lev Tahor sect to lengthy prison terms following convictions for kidnapping and child sexual exploitation offenses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced the sentences on July 10, 2024.

Yakov Weingarten, Shmiel Weingarten, and Yoil Weingarten were sentenced to 14, 14, and 12 years in prison, respectively, after a jury convicted them in March 2024 of conspiracy, kidnapping, and child sexual exploitation offenses. The defendants had plotted to abduct a 14-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy from their mother’s home in Woodridge, New York, in December 2018 and transport them through multiple states and into Mexico.

According to court filings, the purpose of the kidnapping was to return the 14-year-old girl to an adult male associated with the sect, with whom she had been placed into a relationship that was not legally recognized. Law enforcement partners located and recovered both children in Mexico after a three-week search. The case included allegations of forced family separations and other harmful practices.

In addition to the prison sentences, each of the three men was ordered to serve five years of supervised release after completing their prison terms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office credited numerous federal, state, and international law enforcement agencies for their roles in the investigation and prosecution of the case. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}