EXCLUSIVE: Extortion and bribery case vs. Brooklyn Hasid will be dropped

NEW YORK
New York Daily News

A controversial extortion and bribery case involving sex abuse in Brooklyn’s Hasidic community will be dropped by prosecutors Friday, the Daily News has learned.

But that may not be the last word in a convoluted case that turned into political football during last year’s contentious district attorney race.

All 10 counts against Samuel Kellner, 52, charged with trying to blackmail the son of accused molester Baruch Lebovits out of $400,000 and also bribing a witness, are expected to be dismissed “after a careful review of the evidence” by new DA Kenneth Thompson.

“We’ve reached this conclusion because we do not believe that we can prove these charges at trial,” Thompson said.

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