ITS ANOTHER SHOAH
>FBI agents and Rockland district attorney's office investigators fanned out across Ramapo on Wednesday with search warrants demanding that vendors and yeshivas provide records and account for equipment allegedly bought by religious schools with millions in federal education technology dollars.
>The FBI-led raids, which involved 22 separate search warrants in Ramapo, are part of an investigation into whether local yeshivas properly spent money obtained through the federal government's E-Rate program, overseen by the Universal Service Administration Co. for the Federal Communications Commission. It came into existence in 1998 and today allocates more than $4 billion annually for computer and Internet access across the nation.
>Some raids on the same topic were also carried out in the ultra-Orthodox community of Kiryas Joel in Orange County.
>In a statement, the U.S. Attorney's Office said: "Today, the FBI, working with our office, conducted searches in connection with an ongoing fraud investigation. If and when charges are filed, they will eventually become public. This remains an ongoing matter, and we are unable to provide any additional information at this time."
>More than 300 agents and officers were involved in the operation, authorities said, adding that no arrests have been made and none were expected Wednesday.
>Members of the Orthodox community were milling around the warehouse, talking among themselves and asking members of the media what was going on.
>Robert Rhodes, chairman of Preserve Ramapo, said reports about misused technology grants previously have been posted on the grassroots political party’s website. He said he had no information about Wednesday’s raids but said his party had given documentation to the FBI over the years about various issues.
>“We expect eventually there will be conspiracy indictments and the same peopPost too long. Click here to view the full text.