Rabbi gets 5 years in corruption sting

TRENTON, N.J., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A New Jersey rabbi Thursday faced five years in prison for a $1.5 million international money-laundering scheme that stretched to Japan and Uganda.

Rabbi Eliahu Ben Haim appeared before U.S. District Judge Joel Pisano in Trenton Wednesday and admitted involvement in the scheme, which also snared 44 other individuals.

"My emotion and desire to help someone overtook my better judgment," Ben Haim told the court, which was packed with dozens of his relatives and congregants, The (Newark) Star-Ledger reported.

Ben Haim admitted he laundered the money for developer Solomon Dwek, sending the funds to Israel, Japan, China, Turkey and Uganda before bringing them back to the United States for a 10 percent commission.