Ramapo Town Supervisor Found Guilty Of Fraud Scheme With Jewish Leader
By Josh Nathan-Kazis May 22, 2017
The supervisor of the heavily Jewish town of Ramapo in suburban New York was found guilty of conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to conceal the damage done to the towns finances by the construction of a local baseball stadium.
The town supervisor, Christopher St. Lawrence, faces a potentially heavy prison sentence. He remained in office through his arrest, indictment and trial. He was automatically removed by virtue of his conviction.
Ramapo includes the Orthodox-dominated villages of New Square, Monsey, Airmont and Kaser. It also includes the troubled East Ramapo School district, where Orthodox and non-Jewish residents have struggled for control. St. Lawrence enjoyed the support of the Orthodox communities of Ramapo, and was thought to act in their interests, according to the Journal News, a local paper.
Ramapo was found guilty of lying to investors in the town’s municipal bonds in order to overstate the financial security of the town.
St. Lawrence’s co-defendant, Aaron Troodler, the former executive director of a local development group, pleaded guilty last month.
Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at nathankazis@forward.com or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis.
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