The report describes local criminal groups believed to be involved in extortion, money laundering, loan sharking, sophisticated fuel tax fraud schemes and an auto theft ring responsible for stealing cars from Northern California and selling parts to other Ukrainian and Russian criminals. There are occasional situations, but to portray it as a massive organized crime ring is untrue. One local Russian journalist disputes this. It's a paradox. Levchenko, who has lived in the Bay Area for three years, said that if there were crimes against recent Jewish emigres, the incidents would certainly go unreported.
People are scared to talk.
Rabbi Ben Tzion Pil, believed to be the Bay Area's only Russian-speaking rabbi, is also convinced that Jews are involved in Russian criminal groups, though he has no evidence. It's very embarrassing, bad publicity for Russian Jews. Pil, originally from Uzbekistan, also worries about recent Jewish emigres who might fall prey to scams. They are scared of police. This facet of the emigre psyche is also of concern to Simon Klarfeld, executive director of the Bay Area Council for Jewish Rescue and Renewal.