June 30, 2011 The Journal News reported that "Former East Ramapo schools chief
and Monsey fire commissioner Nathan Rothschild this morning pleaded guilty to engaging in a mail fraud scheme. He could face up to 20 years in prison for the felony charge."
 
Rothschild was charged with attempting to sell public property worth $125,000 to eliminate his own personal debts. The federal judge who accepted the plea said Rothschild will likely serve 2 to 3 years for the offenses.

Complete Journal News coverage of the plea at the Federal Courthouse in White Plains can be read here.

Two questions linger in this matter, one relating to Rothschild's role as President of the East Ramapo School Board, and the other concerning a comment made to the Journal reporter in a phone call after the court session.

The controversial sale of the Hillcrest School was annulled by the New York State Board of Education on June 6. That sale of public property was engineered while Rothschild was the seated President of the East Ramapo School Board. The question elicited by his plea before the court is whether there was anything improper happening in the Hillcrest transaction as in the one that brought Rothschild down as the Fire Commissioner in Monsey. At the time, he was being sued by business partners in what was a pretty unseemly action--one that featured allegations of theft of funds, betrayals, and an alleged love triangle. So the money problems that forced him to do what he did as Fire Commissioner were present during the time the school sale was being arranged.

The second question comes from an offhand remark by Rothschild made to Alex Taylor, the Journal reporter, who spoke to him after the guilty plea was accepted. In his conversation, "Rothschild also said he had finished writing an exposé on Monsey politics. The book will be published within 30 days, Rothschild said. He declined to name the publisher." Sounds like the kind of book, if it truly exists and if it's what it purports to be, an exposé, might sell a few copies in Ramapo. If it's real, we'll have a book review available here on the site.

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