Deposition in Rombom v Weberman

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF KINGS

x

STEVEN ROMBOM a/k/a RAMBAM a n d PALLORIUM, INCORPORATED,

P l a i n t i f f s , V. I n d e x No

137 8/00 AJ WEBERMAN, MORDECHAI LEVY, JEWISH DEFENSE ORGANIZATION, INC.

De f e n d a n t s.

ORIGINAL

DEPOSITION OF

ALAN JULES WEBERMAN

New Y o r k , New Y o r k

M a r c h 14, 2012

ATKINSON-BAKER, INC. COURT REPORTERS ( 8 0 0 ) 2 8 8 - 3 3 7 6 www.depo.com

REPORTED BY: TERRI FUDENS

F I L E NO: A600864

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SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF KINGS

x

STEVEN ROMBOM a/k/a RAMBAM a n d PALLORIUM, INCORPORATED,

P l a i n t i f f s , V . I n d e x No

137 8 / 0 0 AJ WEBERMAN, MORDECHAI LEVY, JEWISH DEFENSE ORGANIZATION, INC.

D e f e n d a n t s .

D e p o s i t i o n o f ALAN JULES WEBERMAN, t a k e n

on b e h a l f o f P l a i n t i f f s , a t 120 W a l l S t r e e t , New

Y o r k , New Y o r k , c o m m e n c i n g a t 10:27 A.M.,

Wednesday, M a r c h 14, 2 0 1 2 , b e f o r e T e r r i F u d e n s , a

S t e n o t y p e R e p o r t e r a n d N o t a r y P u b l i c o f t h e S t a t e

o f New Y o r k .

A P P E A R A N C E S :

GUSRAE, KAPLAN AND NUSBAUM, ESQS A t t o r n e y s f o r P l a i n t i f f s

120 W a l l S t r e e t New Y o r k , New Y o r k 1 0 0 0 5 2 1 2 . 2 6 9 . 1 4 0 0

BY: MARLEN KRUZHKOV, ESQ. m k r u z h k o v @ g k b l a w . c o m

- a n d

MATTHEW B. BAUM, ESQ. [email protected]

MICHAEL A. DROBENARE, ESQ. A t t o r n e y s f o r D e f e n d a n t s

2 2 03 A v e n u e X B r o o k l y n , New Y o r k 1 1 2 3 5 7 1 8 . 6 1 6 . 2 1 1 1

BY: MICHAEL A. DROBENARE, ESQ. m i k e d r o @ a o l . c o m

1 ALAN JULES WEBERMAN

2 Have y o u e v e r u t i l i z e d a n y o t h e r

3 b i r t h d a t e s f o r a n y p u r p o s e s ?

4 A No, a b s o l u t e l y n o t .

5 Q What i s y o u r S o c i a l S e c u r i t y n u m b e r ,

6 s i r ?

7 A I'm n o t g o i n g t o g i v e y o u t h a t

8 b e c a u s e y o u r c l i e n t h e r e was a r r e s t e d a t a h a c k e r

9 c o n v e n t i o n b y t h e F B I a n d , y o u know, I'm j u s t -- I

10 d o n 1 t w a n t t o d i v u l g e t h a t b e c a u s e o f h i s

1 1 a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h h a c k e r s .

12 Q Okay. W e l l , I am g o i n g t o make a

13 p o i n t on t h e r e c o r d , a n d we c a n m a r k i t f o r a

14 r u l i n g f o r t h e j u d g e .

15 A L e t ' s do t h a t .

16 MR. KRUZHKOV: I j u s t w a n t t o

17 s t a t e my p o i n t on t h e r e c o r d . Of

18 c o u r s e Mr. Weberman h a s i n t e r j e c t e d a

19 r e a s o n n o t t o a n s w e r . I t ' s n o t

20 a c c o r d i n g t o t h e l a w a l e g i t i m a t e

2 1 r e a s o n , t h e r e f o r e we w o u l d r e q u e s t

22 t h a t h i s S o c i a l S e c u r i t y n u m b e r be

23 p r o v i d e d f o r p u r p o s e s o f e n f o r c e m e n t .

24 O b v i o u s l y t o t h e e x t e n t he w i l l

25 n o t , we w i l l m a r k t h i s f o r a r u l i n g

1 4

ALAN JULES WEBERMAN

s a i d , " A r e y o u g o i n g t o p l a y i t f o r y o u r D y l a n

c l a s s ? " I s a i d , "no man." B u t he w e n t on w i t h

t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n w h i c h i m p l i e d t h a t he was g i v i n g

me p e r m i s s i o n t o c o n t i n u e t h e r e c o r d i n g .

So t h a t ' s how we a r g u e d on t h a t

p a r t i c u l a r i s s u e , a n d F o l k w a y s k n u c k l e d u n d e r

a n y w a y . T h e y d i d n ' t w a n t t o s p e n d a l l t h a t money

on a l a w s u i t a g a i n s t Bob D y l a n ' s h i g h p o w e r e d l a w

f i r m . So t h e y w i t h d r e w t h e LP f r o m t h e m a r k e t .

I t c i r c u l a t e d i n t h e u n d e r g r o u n d as an u n d e r g r o u n d

t a p e .

Q So t h a t l a w s u i t was r e s o l v e d i n a

s e t t 1 e m e n t ?

A Y e a h , b e c a u s e o n c e — t h a t was i t .

Once t h e y t o o k i t o f f t h e m a r k e t , t h a t was t h a t .

Q O k ay. Any o t h e r l a w s u i t s t h a t y o u

c a n t h i n k o f t h a t y o u ' v e b e e n i n v o l v e d i n as a

p a r t y ?

A Okay. T h i s g u y C h i c E d e r s u e d me.

Q C h i c E d e r . He s u e d y o u b e c a u s e ?

A He s u e d me b e c a u s e I r a n an a r t i c l e

i n t h e V i l l a g e V o i c e t h a t s a i d he was t h e DEA

i n f o r m a n t , a n d he c l a i m e d t h a t t h a t was

i n t e r f e r i n g w i t h h i s a b i l i t y t o s e l l m a r i j u a n a .

1 8

ALAN JULES WEBERMAN

Q I w o u l d i m a g i n e t h a t w o u l d . Okay.

What was t h e r e s o l u t i o n o f t h a t l a w s u i t ?

A S h i t , w h a t h a p p e n e d w i t h t h a t l a w s u i t

was t h a t C h i c was w o r k i n g f o r t h e DEA, a n d t h e y

f r o n t e d h i m l i k e $ 2 0 , 0 0 0 i n b u y money. So C h i c

s a y s , h e y , I'm g o i n g t o p u t t h a t money o u t i n t h e

s t r e e t . I g o t a week t o make t h e b u y . So I'm

g o i n g t o p u t t h e money o u t i n t h e s t r e e t , d o u b l e

t h e money, a n d t h e n I ' l l k e e p t h e 20 g r a n d a n d u s e

t h e o t h e r 20 g r a n d t o make t h e b u y .

By C h i c g o t r i p p e d o f f , so t h e

g o v e r n m e n t s u e d h i m — t h e g o v e r n m e n t b r o u g h t

c h a r g e s f o r f r a u d a g a i n s t t h e g o v e r n m e n t , a n d he

e n d e d up i n f e d e r a l p r i s o n .

Q So I t a k e i t h i s l a w s u i t —

A The l a w s u i t p e t e r e d o u t , b e c a u s e

t h e r e was n o t h i n g he c o u l d d o . A n d he d i e d . He

was m i s d i a g n o s e d a n d he d i e d i n t e r r i b l e p a i n i n

M i n n e s o t a i n t h e i r m e d i c a l f a c i l i t y .

Q Some p e o p l e w o u l d s a y b e i n g i n

M i n n e s o t a p u t s y o u —

A T h e r e ' s t o o much i r o n o r e .

Q A n y w a y , I f o r g o t t o a s k y o u i n t h e

b e g i n n i n g , b u t I h a v e t o a s k y o u t h i s .

1 9

ALAN JULES WEBERMAN

A r e y o u c u r r e n t l y t a k i n g a n y

m e d i c a t i o n s t h a t w o u l d i m p e d e y o u r a b i l i t y t o

u n d e r s t a n d my q u e s t i o n s o r a n s w e r t h e m t r u t h f u l l y ?

A L e t ' s s e e . What m e d i c a t i o n s h a v e I

t a k e n ? M o s t l y h i g h b l o o d p r e s s u r e a n d

c h o l e s t e r o l .

Q A n y t h i n g e l s e ?

A W e l l , m a r i j u a n a , i f y o u c o n s i d e r

t h a t — some p e o p l e c o n s i d e r t h a t a m e d i c a t i o n .

N o t i n t h i s s t a t e .

MR. DROBENARE: Now y o u o p e n e d

y o u r s e l f up f o r t h i s o n e .

Q A r e y o u c u r r e n t l y u n d e r t h e i n f l u e n c e

o f mar i j u a n a ?

A No, b e c a u s e I j u s t h a d some s o d a , a n d

t h a t c o u n t e r a c t s i t . I d i d smoke a j o i n t b e f o r e

t h i s m o r n i n g a l r e a d y .

Q T h a t ' s g o o d t o know.

I n a d d i t i o n t o s m o k i n g a j o i n t a n d

d r i n k i n g a s o d a , d i d y o u do a n y t h i n g e l s e t o

p r e p a r e f o r t o d a y ' s d e p o s i t i o n ?

A Y e a h . I b r o u g h t a b u n c h o f s t u f f

a l o n g . I s t a r t e d f r e a k i n g o u t b e c a u s e I c o u l d n ' t

f i n d one f i l e a n d my c u r r e n t b a n k s t a t e m e n t s .

2 0

1 ALAN JULES WEBERMAN

2 Q Have y o u f i l e d a d e c l a r a t i o n o f

3 home s t e a d o r a s i m i l a r f i n d i n g w i t h t h e r e g i s t r a r

4 d e e d s f o r a n y p r o p e r t i e s ?

5 A No. Y e a r s ago I m i g h t h a v e g o t t e n

6 t h i s o f f e r i n a c e r e a l b o x t h a t s a i d y o u g e t t o

7 own l i k e o ne i n c h o f A l a s k a . So t h a t w o u l d be

8 a b o u t t h e o n l y t h i n g t h a t I c a n r e m e m b e r .

9 Q Do y o u own an i n c h o f A l a s k a ?

10 A I m i g h t a c t u a l l y . I h a d t o e a t —

1 1 how many c e r e a l s y o u h a d t o e a t .

12 Q I i m a g i n e q u i t e a b i t o f c e r e a l .

13 Do y o u h a v e a n y o w n e r s h i p i n t e r e s t i n

14 t h e l a n d o r b u i l d i n g c u r r e n t l y k nown as 9 B l e e k e r

15 S t r e e t i n M a n h a t t a n ?

16 A None w h a t s o e v e r .

17 Q Do y o u h a v e a n y i n t e r e s t i n t h e

18 e n t i t y k n o w n as t h e Y i p p i e Museum?

19 A I g o t -- I'm t h e one t h a t g o t t h e --

20 MR. DROBENARE: C e r t i f i c a t e .

2 1 A -- t h e c h a r t e r f r o m t h e B o a r d o f

22 R e g e n t s o f New Y o r k S t a t e , a n d I'm on t h e b o a r d .

23 Q Okay .

24 A And l e t ' s s e e . T h a t ' s a b o u t i t .

25 Q Y o u ' r e on t h e B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s —

3 0

1 ALAN JULES WEBERMAN

2 A N o t s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r t h e c o n t e n t .

3 Q I u n d e r s t a n d .

4 A O v e r a l l , I w o r k f o r t h e J e w i s h

5 D e f e n s e O r g a n i z a t i o n .

6 Q I u n d e r s t a n d . So w o u l d I be c o r r e c t

7 i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g p a r t o f y o u r d u t i e s i n y o u r r o l e

8 a t t h e JDO i s t o c o n t r i b u t e c o n t e n t f o r t h e i r

9 w e b s i t e ?

10 A I f I w i s h . I t ' s v o l u n t a r y . We h a v e

1 1 o t h e r p e o p l e who p r o v i d e p l e n t y o f c o n t e n t .

12 Q Do y o u c u r r e n t l y own a n y a u t o m o b i l e s ?

13 A I d o n ' t know how t o d r i v e .

14 Q Okay .

15 A I d o n ' t own a n y a u t o m o b i l e s ,

16 o t h e r w i s e --

17 Q L e t me s a y one t h i n g . I a p p r e c i a t e

18 t h a t . You ha ve t o u n d e r s t a n d a c o n v e r s a t i o n i s

19 n o t a d e p o s i t i o n . A d e p o s i t i o n i s an a r t i f i c i a l

20 c o n s t r u c t de s i g n e d t o s e r v e a n a r t i f i c i a l p u r p o s e .

2 1 So I w o u l d as k y o u —

22 A I w i l l g i v e y o u some a r t i f i c i a l

23 a n s w e r s t h e n .

24 Q R i g h t . R i g h t . Of c o u r s e . I w o u l d

25 a s k y o u t o l i s t e n t o q u e s t i o n a n d t r y t o a n s w e r

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ALAN JULES WEBERMAN

Q Any o t h e r p o s i t i o n s w h e r e y o u w e r e

p a i d i n e x c h a n g e f o r y o u r s e r v i c e s o r e f f o r t s ?

A I d i d s u i c i d e w a t c h i n p r i s o n , g o t a

d o l l a r a n h o u r .

Q T h a t m u s t h a v e b e e n f u n .

A N o t f o r t h e p r i s o n e r s . T h e y h a d t o

l i s t e n t o D y l a n o l o g y f o r h o u r s a n d h o u r s .

MR. DROBENARE: T h a t was g o i n g

t o p r e v e n t t h e m f r o m s u i c i d e ?

A A l o t o f p e o p l e t o l d me -- t h e y s a i d

I was t h i n k i n g o f c o m m i t t i n g s u i c i d e , b u t i f I h a d

f a i l e d a n d I h a d t o l i s t e n t o D y l a n o l o g y , I'm

g o i n g t o w a i t u n t i l y o u g e t o u t , man.

Q You m e n t i o n e d a t JDO t h a t y o u ' r e p a i d

a s a l a r y o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y $ 2 2 , 0 0 0 ?

A Yes .

Q What i s t h e m e t h o d y o u ' r e p a i d b y ,

c h e c k , c a s h ?

A C a s h .

Q Y o u ' r e p a i d c a s h ?

A R i g h t .

Q Have y o u e v e r r e c e i v e d a n y money f r o m

a n y g o v e r n m e n t a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s ?

A No .

5 3

ALAN JULES WEBERMAN

( D i s c u s s i o n h e l d o f f t h e

r e c o r d . )

Q Do y o u know a g e n t l e m a n named

M o r d e c h a i L e v y ?

A Of c o u r s e .

Q And who i s Mr. L e v y , o r r a t h e r I

s h o u l d s a y , how do y o u know h i m ?

A How do I know M o r d e c h a i L e v y ?

MR. DROBENARE: Make i t s h o r t .

Q I w o u l d a g r e e w i t h h i m . Make i t

s h o r t .

A No. No. You g o t t o g e t t o t h e d e p t h

o f t h i s w h o l e r e l a t i o n s h i p .

MR. DROBENARE: No. No. He's a

member o f t h e JDO, p l e a s e .

A Mr. L e v y came a r o u n d t o t h e Y i p p i e s .

B a s i c a l l y he f e l t t h a t t h e y w e r e an a n t i - I s r a e l

l e f t i s t o r g a n i z a t i o n . So he d e c i d e d he was g o i n g

t o v o l u n t e e r h i s s e r v i c e s a n d b a s i c a l l y s p y on t h e

Y i p p i e s . A n d , y o u know, so he came a r o u n d a r o u n d

t h e t i m e — l e t me s e e , a r o u n d 1 9 8 0 , a n d he

r e a l i z e d t h a t t h e Y i p p i e s w e r e b a s i c a l l y -- d i d n ' t

r e a l l y c o n c e n t r a t e t o o much on t h e I s r a e l t h i n g a t

a l l a n d w e r e m o r e i n t o t h e l e g a l i z a t i o n o f

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m a r i j u a n a a n d t h e u s e o f i b o g a i n e as a t r e a t m e n t

f o r h e r o i n a d d i c t i o n . A n d so he b e g a n t o come

a r o u n d t o 6 B l e e k e r S t r e e t w h e r e he was d o i n g d a t a

m i n i n g .

What he w o u l d do w o u l d be he w o u l d

c a l l up — he w o u l d g e t a N a z i ' s p h o n e n u m b e r , a n d

he w o u l d c a l l up an o p e r a t o r a n d s a y h e y , t h i s

p e r s o n was s t a y i n g o v e r a t my h o u s e a n d t h e y r a n

up a b i g b i l l on me, a n d am I r e s p o n s i b l e f o r i t .

So t h e o p e r a t o r w o u l d s a y — y o u know, t h e

b u s i n e s s o f f i c e w o u l d s a y y e s , y o u a r e , a n d t h e n

he w o u l d a s k f o r t h o s e p h o n e n u m b e r s .

T h e n he w o u l d a s k f o r t h e v a r i o u s

l o c a t i o n s w h e r e t h e c a l l s w e r e made t o . Once he

g o t t h a t , he w o u l d c a l l a n o t h e r b u s i n e s s o f f i c e

a n d he w o u l d s a y , h e y , my d o g c h e w e d up t h e p h o n e

b i l l . A l l I h a v e i s t h e names o f t h e p l a c e s t h a t

w e r e c a l l e d , c o u l d y o u f i l l i n t h e p h o n e n u m b e r s .

So he w o u l d do t h i s , a n d t h e n o n c e he

g o t o n e s e t o f p h o n e n u m b e r s , he w o u l d go a n d u s e

t h a t t o t r a c e down t h e e n t i r e N a z i n e t w o r k b y

s e e i n g who t h e N a z i c a l l e d a n d t h e n g o i n g t h r o u g h

t h e same p r o c e d u r e .

MR. DROBENARE: Ok a y .

1 ALAN JULES WEBERMAN

2 A T h i s g u y , man, i s a v a l u a b l e g u y when

3 i t comes t o f i g h t i n g N a z i s . So I l e t h i m c r a s h

4 o v e r a t 9 - - 6 B l e e k e r . A n d t h e n he b r o u g h t S t e v e

5 Rombom a r o u n d who j u s t g o t o u t o f p r i s o n —

6 MR. DROBENARE: A l l r i g h t .

7 P l e a s e ?

8 A — f o r t e r r o r i s m , a n d i n r e t u r n f o r

9 b e i n g --

10 MR. DROBENARE: Y o u ' v e b e e n so

1 1 g o o d so l o n g . We s h o u l d t a k e a

12 b r e a k . A J -- A J --

13 Q I c e r t a i n l y a p p r e c i a t e t h a t , a n d I

14 t h i n k --

15 A -- a n d i n r e t u r n f o r g e t t i n g a P I

16 l i c e n s e , he d e c i d e d t o s p y on J e w i s h m i l i t a n t s —

17 MR. DROBENARE: A l l r i g h t .

18 A — w h i c h he a d m i t t e d t o when he was

19 on B A I t r y i n g t o g r e y m a i l t h e g o v e r n m e n t i n t o

20 d r o p p i n g c h a r g e s o f i m p e r s o n a t i n g an F B I a g e n t .

2 1 So I do know M o r d e c h a i L e v y , a n d I know h i m f o r

22 y e a r s a n d ye a r s .

23 Q I t h i n k my q u e s t i o n I s h o u l d h a v e

24 a s k e d y o u a d i f f e r e n t q u e s t i o n . I t ' s my f a u l t .

25 W o u l d y o u c h a r a c t e r i z e y o u r

8 9