Woodmere Man Who Stole From Temple Sentenced

The Woodmere man who stole more than $634,000 from Congregation Aish Kodesh while serving as its treasurer was sentenced Tuesday to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison, the Nassau District Attorney announced.

Isaac Zucker, 49, pleaded guilty in February to grand larceny in the second degree after he wired cash from the congregation’s accounts into his own. Zucker was also sentenced to pay full restitution. The DA’s Office recommended a prison sentence of 2 1/3 to 7 years. Zucker was sentenced by Judge David Ayres.

Between his election to treasurer in 2006 and June 2011, Zucker stole $634,960 from the Aish Kodesh by wiring the money into his law practice's business account and writing himself checks from the congregation’s accounts, according to District Attorney Kathleen Rice. Zucker, as treasurer, was responsible for paying bills and making deposits.

The theft was discovered in June 2011 when checks meant to pay the synagogue’s bills began bouncing. Doctored bank statements provided to the congregation’s leadership by Zucker showed one account’s balance to be $200,000. In reality, it was only $50.

Zucker was arrested by members of the Nassau County Police Department’s Crimes Against Property Squad at a hotel near MacArthur Airport on June 29, 2011.

“This defendant violated the sanctity of a house of worship, a place designed to act as a place of education, guidance, and friendship for an entire community,” Rice said. “Mr. Zucker was fortunate enough to be placed in a position of trust, yet he abused that trust at every turn, and made a victim out of every congregant.”