Agriprocessors Verdict, Pending Immigration Charges, and a Bizarre Response

(MoneyWatch)  Though a jury found Agriprocessors former vice president Sholom Rubashkin guilty on 86 out of 91 financial fraud-related charges, Rubashkin says he's innocent.

And his friend Aaron Goldsmith says Rubashkin is innocent, too. Well, sort of. "Nobody's proven he had money on the side or did things for his personal gain; he was trying to keep his company going. While misguided, it's the not same as defrauding somebody for personal gain," Goldsmith said.

I see. So he broke the law, maybe, but he had good reasons. So that's all right then. Huh?

Agriprocessors' kosher meat plant in Postville, Iowa, got national attention in May 2008 when an immigration raid turned up nearly 400 undocumented immigrants working there. But Thursday's verdict had nothing to do with immigration. This trial was about financial crimes -- for example, Rubashkin was found guilty of falsifying business records in order to persuade his lenders to increase his credit line.

In future trials, Rubashkin will face 72 federal immigration-related charges, plus some state charges involving child labor laws. Rubashkin will likely receive the highest penalty of anyone at Agriprocessors because, unlike several of his colleagues, he refused to plea bargain.