Elazar Vigdorovitz, an Israeli chareidi man suspected of serious fraud and scam offenses, has managed to escape law enforcement for the second time — most recently during his deportation from the United States to Israel.

According to a report by Avishai Grintzayg on i24NEWS, Vigdorovitz was deported from New York to Israel under escort by U.S. federal officers after being caught attempting to illegally enter the United States from Canada.

During the overnight flight, Vigdorovitz allegedly faked a heart attack, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Dublin, Ireland — where he managed to escape from the airport. Israeli police officers, who had been waiting for him at Ben Gurion Airport with an arrest warrant, were left empty-handed.

Hidden In A Trunk

The affair began after Vigdorovitz and his associate, Yisrael Anden, were caught at border control in New York. According to investigators, Anden attempted to smuggle Vigdorovitz from Canada into the United States by hiding him in the trunk of a vehicle, underneath suitcases.

The two were arrested while trying to cross into the U.S. via the Rainbow Bridge, which connects Niagara Falls in Canada to Niagara Falls in the United States, about 30 kilometers north of Buffalo.

The U.S. Department of Justice stated that the arrest took place in the early morning hours of January 8. Inside the vehicle were suitcases belonging to both suspects, as well as luggage belonging to another chassid who had flown with them from Poland to Canada and had rented the car for Anden.

Multiple Charges And Visa Denials

According to the report, Vigdorovitz told border officials that he did not know his actions constituted a criminal offense, and claimed he was unsure whether Anden even knew he was hiding in the trunk.

Anden remains in custody in the United States and is expected to stand trial there before eventually being extradited to Israel.

Vigdorovitz has been barred from entering the United States after his visa application was denied in 2023. Just days before the smuggling attempt, on January 5, 2026, he tried applying for entry via the ESTA online system — but that request was also denied.

He currently faces additional charges in the U.S., including fraud, conspiracy, forgery, use of forged documents, fabrication of evidence, and obstruction of justice.

Negligence Allegations And Interpol Failure

After his arrest, Vigdorovitz was deported. Israeli police informed American authorities that an active arrest warrant existed against him, and U.S. officers escorted him to the aircraft and ensured he boarded.

Despite this, he managed to escape during the emergency landing in Dublin.

Sources now claim that negligence by Israel’s international prosecution department played a role, as no Interpol Red Notice was issued against him — a move that could have enabled his arrest abroad. Police are now attempting to trace his whereabouts after his second escape.

Not His First Major Case

This is not Vigdorovitz’s first serious run-in with the law.

Approximately eight years ago, he was involved in a major criminal case in Ukraine, where he paid criminals to plant cannabis in the luggage of a chassidic couple, in order to have them arrested in Israel as revenge over a personal dispute.

The couple was fully cleared of all charges. Vigdorovitz admitted his actions as part of a plea deal and served four years in prison. In sentencing, the judge emphasized the severity of the crimes, stating that the defendant “made worldwide efforts to carry out his actions.”

Additional Fraud Investigations

At the same time, Mako reported that Vigdorovitz is also wanted in Israel in connection with a sophisticated real estate scam, involving the sale of an apartment belonging to two elderly, isolated women and the takeover of another property in Tel Aviv.

If he is eventually extradited to Israel following the conclusion of U.S. proceedings, he is expected to be interrogated in these cases and face the serious charges against him.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)