Israeli Confesses in U.S. Kidney Smuggling Ring
An Israeli man pleaded guilty in New Jersey on Thursday to brokering kidney transplants as part of a black market organ business, U.S. prosecutors said.
Levy Izhak Rosenbaum, 60, confessed in federal court in Trenton, New Jersey, to three counts of acquiring and transferring human organs and a fourth count of conspiracy.
Prosecutors say that between 2006 and 2009, Rosenbaum brokered three kidney transplants between paid donors and New Jersey residents paying between $120,000 and $150,000.
"Rosenbaum admitted he was not new to the human kidney business when he was caught brokering what he thought was a black market deal," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said.
"A black market in human organs is not only a grave threat to public health, it reserves lifesaving treatment for those who can best afford it at the expense of those who cannot. We will not tolerate such an affront to human dignity."
Each of the charges carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Rosenbaum is under house detention awaiting sentencing in February.
Source: Agence France Presse
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