New Prosecutor Assigned to Case of Man Accused of Extorting Alleged Sex Abuser

By Oren Yaniv
New York Daily News
January 19, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/new-prosecutor-man-accused-extorting-alleged-abuser-article-1.1585011

Samuel Kellner, seen here State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, will have his case reviewed by a new prosecutor. Kellner is charged with extorting an alleged abuser and bribing a witness in the man's case.

A controversial extortion case will be reviewed by a new prosecutor, the Daily News has learned.

During his election campaign last year, Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson had rallied behind Samuel Kellner.

The Hasidic man had spoken out against sex abuse within his Orthodox community, then found himself charged with extorting an alleged abuser and bribing witnesses in the man’s case.

Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson, who slammed Kellner's three-year-old case as 'botched' during his campaign, has appointed sex crimes prosecutor Kevin O'Donnell to the case.

Thompson, who had slammed the troubled case as “botched” during his campaign, has appointed sex crimes prosecutor Kevin O’Donnell to take a new look at the three-year-old case, sources said.

The decision could affect the case of the man Kellner is accused of trying to extort — Baruch Lebovits, 62, a cantor who’s awaiting a retrial on charges of abusing a boy. Lebovits has a court date scheduled for Thursday.

“He probably wants a fresh pair of eyes to look at this case,” Kellner’s lawyer, Niall MacGiollabhui, said of Thompson.