Man Admits Fraud; Son Was Pardoned by Clinton
A 76-year-old Hasidic man pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud government agencies out of tens of millions of dollars in schemes involving four people who won controversial clemency deals from former President Clinton.
Under the plea agreement, Chaim Berger, who had been a fugitive living in Israel, could face up to six and a half years in prison. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of mail fraud.
Berger, who prosecutors said was one of the leaders of the schemes, and six others including his son, Benjamin, were originally named in a 1997 indictment charging them with 64 counts of defrauding the federal and state governments.
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