ISRAELI MOB SUSPECT PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGES, WILL FACE PRISON AT HOME

After his March extradition to the United States, alleged Israeli
crime boss Ze'ev Rosenstein had a few words for his supporters: "This
year a prisoner in Miami; next year a free man in Israel."

He got his fate half right. On Tuesday, the reputed godfather of the
Israeli mob pleaded guilty to two drug smuggling charges as part of
an unusual deal that could have him back in his native country within
a week, although not as a free man.

Lawyers on both sides agreed Rosenstein, 52, would receive a 12-year
prison term with credit for time spent in jail since his November
2004 arrest. U.S. District Judge William Dimitrouleas imposed the
sentence immediately.

The government's extradition agreement with Israel ensures Rosenstein
will serve his sentence in Israel. Under Israeli law, Rosenstein
becomes eligible for parole in 2012, his lawyer Roy Black said after
the hearing in Fort Lauderdale federal court.

As part of a separate arrangement with the Israeli government,
Rosenstein agreed to plead guilty and accept a three-year sentence
for his role in an aborted plot to assassinate a rival, Black said.

Several area lawyers said the terms of his plea agreement seemed
unusual for such a high-profile criminal defendant.

As part of the deal, prosecutors agreed to a sentence reduction under
a provision designed for nonviolent offenders and minor players with
no criminal history. The terms of the plea agreement also bound
Dimitrouleas to adopt all provisions and the recommended sentence or
reject the deal entirely.

Miami attorney Michael Tein, who is not affiliated with the case,
called such agreements "as rare as four-leaf clovers."

"It shows both sides are extremely happy with this result," Tein said.

Prosecuting the case grew more complicated for government lawyers in
November after Dimitrouleas refused to permit Israeli undercover
agents to testify using false names. Israeli courts allow the use of
pseudonyms to prevent the exposure of undercover agents, prosecutors said.

Defense lawyers opposed the request, saying it would prevent them
from thoroughly investigating the agents' backgrounds.

Defense lawyer David O. Markus said negotiations with Israel could
have put pressure on the U.S. government to reach an agreement,
rather than go to trial.

"When there's an extradition agreement, the government can't just
worry about the prosecution. There are a lot of other things to
consider," he said.

Rosenstein admitted he took part in a plot to import 850,000 Ecstasy
pills into the United States in 2001 to be sold in Miami and New
York. Law enforcement agents learned of the shipment from an
undercover informant who had been approached about purchasing some pills.

In July 2001, the agents executed a search warrant on a New York
apartment where the Ecstasy was held, seizing approximately 700,000
pills. Rosenstein's arrest in Tel Aviv was touted at news conferences
in Israel and the United States, where law enforcement officials said
they had caught one of the most wanted drug traffickers in the world.

While Rosenstein's alleged crimes went beyond the one Ecstasy
shipment, the plea agreement and 12-year sentence reflect only those
charges.Rosenstein's lawyer said the father of six was motivated to
reach a deal so he could return to Israel more quickly.