I just learned that until this past July, 2012, the crime of organ trafficking had not been tracked and linked to the US.
The convict: Levy Izhak Rosenbaum
The crime? You guessed it. Organ trafficking.
Similar to Gordon's views, Rosenbaum considered himself a "matchmaker" and a "Robin Hood" for kidneys. His recipients are all apparently healthy, but Rosenbaum would scam off of poor people in developing countries, buying the kidneys from desperate donors for as little as 10 grand, and selling them at a base price of $120,000.
He claims that although he knew it was wrong, he thought he was doing it for good. Sounds kind of like our Gordon; starting out because he believes in a cause, in compassion, but of course, the eminent wealth is motivation to continue.
There are people that are on both sides of the fence for his case. There are those that view him as a monster; someone who scammed other people with no respect for law, dignity, and authority. Then there are those that see that relatively no harm had been done -- his donors and recipients all seem happy, and he has millions of dollars to show for almost 10 years of organ trafficking.
He faces 2.5 years in prison and about $450,000 in fines.
Can someone be a monster and a savior at the same time?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/11/levy-izhak-rosenbaum-illegal-sale-kidneys_n_1665927.html
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