FBI Raids New York Orthodox Jewish Village Kiryas Joel

By Julia Zorthian
Time
May 12, 2016

http://time.com/4328144/fbi-new-york-orthodox-jewish-kiryas-joel/

It was not immediately clear what the FBI was investigating on Thursday.

The FBI and other officials conducted a series of raids across the largely Orthodox Jewish village of Kiryas Joel in Orange County, New York on Thursday.

At least seven agents removed items from a yeshiva run by the United Talmudical Academy, the village’s school system, local news site The Journal News reports. The cause of the raids was not known as of Thursday afternoon.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed the search to Gothamist, but would not comment on the nature of the investigation. An Orange County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the raids. In March, FBI raided other Orthodox communities throughout Rockland County in connection with religious schools possibly misusing federal funding for “e-rate” technology.

Members of the ultra-orthodox Satmar Hasidic sect largely populate Kiryas Joel.