This Week

furniture & accessories

SEE FOR YOURSELF WHY
EVERYONE Is SAYING

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WOW!

tJ A _ Li

7,..

7- - ,

RI'

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IL.4

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33080 Northwestern Hwy.

Between Orchard Lake Road
& 14 Mile --

14 Mile Road

538 77

8.538.7747

Lawyer awaits sentencing for embezzlement.

ALAN ABRAMS
Special to the Jewish News

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West Bloomfield

Guilty Plea

ADMIRAL OPTICAL

T

he Huntington Woods
lawyer who was facing trial
in Oakland County Circuit
Court on two charges of
embezzlement over $100, Barry D.
Yaker, pled guilty Aug. 24.
Each felony charge carries a maxi-
mum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Oakland County Circuit Judge
David Breck will sentence Yaker
Nov. 9, said Marc Barron, assistant
Oakland County prosecutor in
charge of the case.
The sentencing will follow Yaker's
Nov. 8 appearance before U.S. District
Judge Gerald E. Rosen for sentencing
on a federal charge of mail fraud. Yaker
pled guilty to that charge Aug. 8.
Yaker's guilty plea on the Oakland
County charges probably will result in
his avoiding additional jail time. "The
probability is that, pursuant to
statutes, the Oakland County sen-
tences will run concurrently with his
federal sentence," Barron said.
The charges against Yaker stem
from his failed scheme to drill for oil

under Israel's Dead Sea. Yaker raised
more than $2 million from a roster of
investors, including local businessmen.
He spent at least $1 million of that
amount on personal expenses, authori-
ties say.
Yaker faces a maximum penalty of
five years in prison, as well as a fine of
$250,000, or both, on the federal
charge. He also must serve two to
three years of probation and make
restitution of $683,000 to his victims.
Judge Rosen is not required to
accept the plea negotiated by federal
prosecutors and Yaker's attorney, Neil
Fink of Birmingham, that would send
Yaker to prison for up to 21 months
— a deal that has angered several of
Yaker's victims. Fink could not be
reached for comment.
Yaker's law license would be sus-
pended automatically if Judge Rosen
accepts the federal plea negotiated
with Fink.
Yaker was arrested and arraigned in
Oakland County last Dec. 27.
Birmingham police began their inves-
tigation of Yaker in 1997. Yaker
remains free on bond pending sen-
tencing. ❑

known for its prices and service

Shoah Payments

Forced labor claims _process to begin.

T

Naomi Frenkel

4th generation

WESTWIND LAKE VILLAGE SHOPS

Haggerty Road and Pontiac Trail
West Bloomfield
248-960-2300

*offer expires September 30, 2000

music reviews
OtIN Entertainment.

Catch the best

9/1
2000

28

he participation of Holocaust
survivors and organizations
working with survivors was
crucial to achieving the German
Foundation Economic Initiative, the
recent agreement reached with the
German government and industry
concerning payments to former slave
and forced laborers during the World
War II era. In less than two months,
the claims process is expected begin.
To minimize possible confusion,
the German offices administering the
original West German Federal
Indemnification Law
(Wiedergutmachung in German, or
BEG for short) is mailing a notice to
recipients of BEG pensions only.
Recipients of the letter who believe
they are eligible for a slave or forced
labor payment should sign the bottom

of the letter and return it the address
in Israel provided.
In the next few weeks, a similar let-
ter will be sent to the Claims
Conference Article 2 Fund recipients
who are likely to be eligible for slave
or forced labor compensation.
Survivors who do not receive either
letter, yet believe they are eligible for a
slave or forced labor payment, will be
able to submit claims once application
forms become available.
• Claim forms will be available start-
ing in mid-October at the earliest.
• The forms will be available free of
cost at the Jewish Family Service,
24123 Greenfield Road, Southfield.
• There will be no charge for assistance
with claim forms.
For information, call JFS, (248)

,

559-4566.

