Attorney Israel Perry, who was convicted of multiple counts of fraud, will begin serving his prison sentence immediately, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
Perry was convicted of
stealing millions from Holocaust survivors. He was found guilty of aggravated fraud, embezzlement, obstruction of justice and violation of insurance laws in October of 2007, after a six-year trial.
He was also sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay a $5.4 million fine.
Perry's sentence was delayed by 30 days in order to allow him to put his affairs in order prior to going to jail. He was released on bail, but apparently attempted to evade prison and flee Israel's jurisdiction on Monday.
The State Prosecutor's Office argued that Perry constituted a "serious flight risk," entering into evidence confidential information gathered by the police to that effect.
Attorney Yaakov Weinroth, for Perry, said the prosecution's move was rare and that neither he nor his client were made privy to the evidence presented to the court. "The defense is always told something, but we are operating in the dark and we have no way of defending ourselves."
Weinroth also questioned the validity of the police information of Perry's alleged plan to flee jurisdiction.
He also told the court that Perry had regular meetings with a former major-general in the Israeli Prison Service, who now counsels people about to serve prison time. "This kind of behavior does not suggest one is about to flee the country," said Weinroth.
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