A Brooklyn man pleaded guilty today to being part of a black market kidney ring stretching from Israel to NYC. Levy Itzhak Rosenbaum, 60, admitted that he bought kidneys for cheap in Israel then sold them to needy people in America for huge sums of money. "I am what you call a matchmaker...I've never had a failure," he was caught on tape telling an FBI informant posing as a potential client.
Rosenbaum bought kidneys off of Israelis for around $10,000, then sold them here for $120,000 or more; he was the first person in the United States ever charged with the trafficking of live human organs. Rosenbaum was arrested two years ago as part of a massive federal sting operation, which led to the arrests of 46 people, including three New Jersey mayors, two state legislators, and more than 20 candidates for public office.
Caught bragging on tape about his expertise in the illegal organ selling trade, Rosenbaum was known around Brooklyn as the “go-to” guy with kidney connections for those who did not want to wait for a suitable donor organ, or did not qualify to be placed on a transplant list. He pleaded guilty to brokering three illegal transplants, as well as one count of conspiracy. He faces up to five years in prison, and possible deportation to Israel.
