Following his conviction by a jury at trial for 10 charges related to his doctoring a court transcript in a previous case and using it to try and Defraud Young Israel of Woodmere and the Woodmere FD, Judah Karkowsky was sentenced today in Nassau County Court to 1 year in jail. Karkowsky had previously been accused of sexually abusing a child while responding to a call made to the Woodmere FD. While on that call karkowsky, a Woodmere FD EMT, had allegedly made a boy he was examining remove his his pants so he could examine his genitals. The case, however, was later dismissed on a technicality.

Karkowsky meanwhile, as a result of those allegations, had been fired from the Woodmere Fire Department, and his membership suspended from attending the Young Israel of Woodmere. In an attempt to reverse those decisions Karkowsky first misleading doctored the certificate of disposition in his first case to look like it was dismissed for cause, and then modified a transcript from the dismissal hearing to make it seem like the judge had dismissed the case on its merits. He then used that forged transcript to try and regain his status at Young Israel of Woodmere.

Additionally he quoted the false transcript in a notice of claim filed against the Woodmere Fire Department for defamation and false prosecution, requesting $15,000,000 in compensation for those supposed harms.

Karkowsky was sentenced to 1 year by Judge Robert A. Schwartz on the top count to be served concurrently with the sentences imposed for the other, lesser counts.

At the hearing Karkowsky’s lawyers tried arguing that the harm caused by Karkowsky’s actions were nonexistent, and that it was a victimless crime, because no one had believed it and no actions were taken as a result of it. The judge and DA correctly pointed out that nothing resulted from his attemoted fraud because he was caught. The judge also listed a host of people who were harmed by it including the original judge, the family of Karkowsky’s alleged victim, the shul, and his friend, Judge Ari Schulman, who Karkowsky used to attempt to deceive the Young Israel of Woodmere into reinstating his membership.

In pleading for mercy Karkowsky’s lawyer asked the judge to consider the effect of incarceration on his family and children. She also asked that the judge consider the ordeal of the trial itself to be punishment enough and impose a sentence that didn’t include jail time. In doing so she described the social media content that had been posted about this trial and the previous case, TikTok videos made about it, and how news had spread throughout the neighborhood leading to his name being dragged through the mud.

Ultimately the Judge saw him for what he was: a remorseless, unrepentant criminal who had no remorse for what he did. He was led out in cuffs and remanded immediately.

Karkowsky’s supporters had quickly filled the courtroom ahead of his sentencing, eventually overflowing into the hallway. Supporters continued to arrive and wait outside the courtroom during the hearing. Family of the alleged victim in Karkowsky’s original case were also present in the courtroom along with Zvi Gluck of Amudim. Shortly before the hearing began the family of the alleged victim was asked if they would give up any seats so family of Karkowsky could remain in the courtroom. They refused.

During the hearing Judge Schwartz indicated that he’d received over 60 letters in support of Karkowsky all pleading for a no-jail sentence. In referencing the letters judge Schwartz noted that conspicuously absent from any of the letters, including the one from Karkowsky’s own lawyer, was any indication of remorse. Judge Schwartz chastised Karkowsky for his clear egoism in the actions that had led to his conviction. He further chastised Karkowsky for attempting, even during the trial, to continue pretending that the transcript he forged was real.

Oddly, also present at the sentencing, seemingly in support of the Karkowsky family, was RIETS Dean Emeritus and RCA Executive Vice President, Rabbi Menachem Penner, along with his wife Adeena Penner. It’s yet to be determined if Penner was one of the 60+ people who wrote a letter of support on behalf of Karkowsky.