Sunday, June 15, 2008

Zalman Silber Arrested - charged with third-degree sexual abuse


The Awareness Center says:

Zalman Silber, a well-known philanthropist was charged with pretending to be a doctor so he could give unsuspecting women "gynecological exams," police and prosecutors said. Silber was charged with third-degree sexual abuse and unauthorized practice and professions for impersonating a doctor. He allegedly molested two women, ages 18 and 20. But police sources told the News that investigators believe he may have begun his activities in 2003.

He hired as his defense lawyer disgraced former Rockland County prosecutor Kenneth Gribetz, who stepped down after his proclivities for wearing women's clothing and a dog collar were exposed by the Daily News more than a decade ago.

Silber allegedly fooled his victims by saying the exams were part of a medical survey, prosecutors said. Investigators in the NYPD's Manhattan special victims unit believe Silber's "exams" may have started in 2003 and were checking into the possibility that there are more victims.

He was released on $10,000 bail after a court appearance in Manhattan. Gribetz told the judge his client earned more than $1 million a year.

Zalman Silber made millions in the 1990s offering tourists simulated helicopter rides around the city through the New York Skyride at the Empire State Building.

Silber moved to the Rockland County community from Borough Park, Brooklyn, a year ago, neighbors said.

3 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

I’ve heard something very different about this story that turns the whole story on its head. Apparently Zalman Silber’s ex-wife had for some years been threatening to make trouble for him if he didn’t give her more money.

About 7 years ago one of his companies was involved in testing a scheme to provide cheap life insurance which involved having only a blood pressure check instead of a full medical exam. It involved an employee (not Zalman Silber) taking the blood pressure of 150 people (who signed consent forms).

He had sold a business for several million dollars and his ex-wife through a friend who knew some of the participants in the life insurance testing scheme, suggested to them that there was money to be made by alleging that they were abused during their participation. What is being referred to really involves the employee that took the participants blood pressure.

Zalman Silber has never claimed to be a gynaecologist, but is a qualified medic. However since this doesn’t involve him but his employee, why didn’t he tell the police that this was a case of mistaken identity? It seems among Hassidic Jews they are not allowed to ‘tell’ on each other. So that when his ex-wife called the cops he has kept quiet and not said anything. Apparently he also wouldn’t tell on his ex-wife for similar reasons. So far from being a villainous pervert he may actually be a saint.

Meanwhile what will happen to the guy that actually took the blood pressure or did the examinations? The women who were claiming he pretended to be a gynaecologist didn’t recognise Zalman Silber in a line-up - the question is would they chose the employee in a similar line-up and would the fact that his ex-wife is the informant not make the police suspicious of her motivation?

Knowing that he is a wealthy man may tempt other participants to try and make a fast buck by claiming that they were sexually abused whilst their blood pressure was being taken.

June 16, 2008 1:16 PM  
Anonymous Aaron S. said...

Mr. Silber has been completely exonerated and all charges have been dropped.

February 01, 2010 3:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

All charges were thrown out, at least one witness was paid to commit perjury. It was a disgrace this ever went to court and a disgrace this story still appears in its original form

May 06, 2010 8:56 AM  

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