JUDGE SETS $10 MILLION BAIL FOR ALLEGED ISRAELI 'AL CAPONE'

FORT LAUDERDALE -- A federal judge set a $10 million bail Tuesday for
an alleged Israeli organized crime figure described by U.S.
authorities as one of the world's biggest distributors of Ecstasy.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres set the bail amount for Ze'ev
Rosenstein over the objections of federal prosecutors, who said they
were concerned that Rosenstein had ready access to huge assets and
could readily flee the United States.

"I do know that Mr. Rosenstein has significant financial resources,"
said Ben Greenberg, the assistant U.S. attorney handling the case.

But Torres said he was concerned about allowing Rosenstein to be held
without bail or even a detention hearing for such a lengthy time since
his extradition from Israel in early March.

"I'm a little uncomfortable to continue a detention hearing for that
long," Torres said.

The judge added that even if Rosenstein, whom the Israelis liken to
gangster Al Capone, could make the $10 million bail he would hold
another hearing to set other conditions before he is released.

Rosenstein, 51, is accused in a 2004 grand jury indictment with
conspiring to distribute more than 1 million Ecstasy pills in the
United States between summer 1999 and November 2001. He has not yet
entered a formal plea but his attorneys have said he will plead not
guilty.

An arraignment that would have included a formal plea was postponed
until April 26. High-profile defense attorney Roy Black, who is
representing Rosenstein, said he needs more time to prepare for the
case, which includes translation of much evidence from Hebrew into
English.

"It just takes a while to get things together and get up to speed,"
Black said.

Rosenstein on the Drug Enforcement Administration's list of 44 top
worldwide drug traffickers. He was arrested in Israel more than a year
ago.

Rosenstein, who largely escaped prosecution for his alleged crimes in
Israel for years, faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the two
counts in his drug indictment. Rosenstein's Ecstasy network allegedly
spanned four continents and used Latin American smugglers to bring the
drug into the United States.

Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, is a synthetic drug that typically
induces euphoria, increased energy and sexual arousal. But is also
suppresses appetite, thirst and the need to sleep, and in high doses
can cause several health problems and possibly death.