Metro

Rapfogel crony guilty in theft from Jewish charity

An accomplice of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s former close pal William Rapfogel pleaded guilty Tuesday for his role in the theft of $9 million from the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.

Herbert Friedman, 80, once the chief financial officer of the charity known as the Met Council, will have to cough up $775,000 in restitution and serve four months behind bars in exchange for his guilty plea to felony grand larceny and conspiracy charges under a plea deal announced by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

“Herb Friedman abused his position of trust to help steal millions of dollars from a taxpayer-funded charitable organization – one dedicated to serving some of New York City’s poorest and most vulnerable residents,” Schneiderman said in a statement.

“As this case has shown as much as any other, those who rip off taxpayers and charitable organizations will be prosecuted and punished.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon SilverReuters

Friedman admitted that between the early 1990s and 2009, he pocketed about $250,000 from the larceny and kickback scheme involving Rapfogel, his successor as CEO of the council, who pleaded guilty last month to fleecing the charity of $9 million.

Rapfogel, whose wife was a longtime top aide to the powerful Assembly speaker, has to pay $3 million in restitution and faces 3¹/₃ to 10 years in the slammer when he is sentenced on July 16.

The Met Council received millions in taxpayer funding through state and city grants, legislative member items and contracts.

The scheme revolved around inflated insurance bills the Met Council paid to Century Coverage Corporation.

William RapfogelSteven Hirsch

Rapfogel, Friedman and their co-defendants, David Cohen and Joseph Ross, would share the cash skimmed off the inflated payments, the AG’s office said.

Cohen, who preceded Rapfogel as head of the council, and Ross, an official of the insurance firm, also pleaded guilty in the scam.

Friedman’s guilty plea came in Manhattan Criminal Court before Justice Michael Obus.