New York Daily News

FBI collars S.I. pol’s moneyman

- BYJOHN MARZULLI jmarzulli@nydailynew­s.com

A FORMER top fund-raiser for Staten Island Congressma­n Michael Grimm and aide to the so-called Rabbi to the Stars has been arrested by the FBI on charges of lying on immigratio­n documents, the Daily News has learned.

Ofer Biton, a citizen of Israel, is accused of making false statements about the source of $400,000 he loaned to a company as part of an entreprene­urial visa program administer­ed by the government.

The criminal complaint was filed by prosecutor Anthony Capozzolo of the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s public corruption unit. He has been leading a probe of allegation­s that Grimm, a Staten Island Republican, accepted illegal campaign contributi­ons.

Biton has also been at the center of an investiga- tion into allegation­s that millions of dollars was embezzled from Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, a spiritual adviser to former Rep. Anthony Weiner before his downfall in a sexting scandal, and NBA star LeBron James.

The New York Times reported earlier this year that Biton had raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Grimm from members of Pinto’s congregati­on.

At least four of Grimm’s campaign workers have received subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury in Brooklyn, The News reported last month.

Grimm has denied any wrongdoing. His Washington, D.C., lawyer William McGinley did not respond to requests for comment.

Biton was ordered held without bail on an immigratio­n detainer. Defense lawyer Jeffrey Udell could not be reached.

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