Suicide?: Disgraced Hedge Fund Trader Samuel Israel III Missing

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A car abandoned on a bridge with the phrase "Suicide is Painless" scrawled in the dust on its hood is registered to a hedge-fund swindler who was supposed to report to federal prison, state police said Tuesday.

Investigator Bruce Cuccia said suicide has not been established, no body has been found and no one saw anyone jump. The FBI has joined the investigation and a search is under way, he said.

The car, a 2006 GMC Envoy, was registered to Samuel Israel III of Armonk, Cuccia said. It was found on Monday on the Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River, near West Point and about 40 miles north of New York City.

On its hood, etched into the dust and pollen, were the words "Suicide is Painless," the name of the theme of the classic "MASH" television show. The song was sung during the original movie.

No other note was found, Cuccia said.

Investigator Tim Miller said police have not been able to reach Israel. No home telephone number was listed for him.

The U.S. attorney's office, which prosecuted Israel, had no comment, said spokesman Herb Hadad. A call to the FBI was not immediately returned.

Israel, 48, was sentenced in April to 20 years in federal prison for illegally inducing investors to put more than $450 million into now-collapsed Bayou hedge funds. He was also ordered to pay back $300 million to his victims.

Judge Colleen McMahon called him the mastermind of the scheme and said the prison term was meant to show that "people who commit crimes while wearing a tie do not get a break."

She set Monday as the deadline for Israel to surrender. Cuccia said he had been expected at 2 p.m. at the federal prison in Ayer, Mass.

State police aircraft and boats from the Westchester and Rockland county police searched the Hudson on Monday and the boats resumed the search Tuesday morning, Cuccia said.

Comments

[LeftRinger]

Looks like this thread is dead. However, this would be a great start for Congress, taking a closer look at these market manipulators.

[LivingStardust]

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Unless he's fled from justice, then we'll hunt him down like we'll be hunting down Bush and Cheney soon enough.

[Jason357]

What the hell was this guy doing out on bail???

[Powderfinger]

His girlfriend said he left home at 9:30 am to report to jail. What was he going to do? Leave the car parked in the inmates' long-term lot? That would be a big tab come check-out time.

It doesn't even sound like he kissed her good-bye. How callous!

[punditpolice]

He'll turn up in ten years when the money is gone. No way he walked away with all that cash (300+mil)- some nice chunk for sure, but all his known assets have long since been seized.

[darthdarcy]

Hiding in Israel for sure..or Aruba..

[JDOK]

Israel is in Israel counting his money and laughing at all those American suckers.

[texastornado]

To be accompanied soon by the white house occupants.

[MagisterLudi]

Israel extradites fugitives from U.S. justice.
He'd be much better off in some lawless country somewhere in South America where he can bribe his way to safety.

[RichardD]

The "McCain" protection plan ??

[lex]

I can think of 300 million reasons why an isolated island in the middle of nowhere is less painless than suicide.

[JBS]

Go on ... take the money and run!

S. Miller

[HamletsMill]

500 Million in hedge fund money!

No government regulation whatsoever on hedge fund pitates.

Zippo. Nada. Zilch.

Just free market free booters with plenty of OPM (Other People's Money).

Smooth Reaganomics.

Throw in AIPAC NeoCon foreign policy for eight years.

There is a sucker born every minute...and it is us as Americans.

So it goes.

[nomoredead]

....and the Hedge Funds / Private Equity pay only a 15 % tax.

[johnsmith747]

I DO NOT AGREE WITH THE "SMOOTH REGANOMICS" STATEMENT NECESSARILY. EVERYTHING ELSE IS "TRU DAT"!

ANOTHER HEB BILKING THE SYSTEM. HE'S IN ISRAEL NOW.

EXTRADITION MY ASS!

I DO NOT KNOW WHY THESE PSUEDO AMERICANS EVEN BOTHER TO RUN TO ISRAEL, WHEN THEY HAVE THE DECK LOADED ALREADY. (IE PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS, JUDGES, ETC!) SEE MARC RICH AND IRVING LIBBY(OR WHATEVER HIS MOSSAD NAME IS TODAY!)

SG



SJG

[EmperorNoClothes]

After abandoning his car he made a getaway by motorcycle on the back roads. He's been studying Portuguese for the past few months, so my guess is he's headed for Brazil.

[kozmik]

More likely he's killed or on the run. There's a lot of rich crooks who don't want him in jail or talking.

[revko]

Maybe the Millionaire dating people have seen him

[nomadicexpat]

i think this is the best comment ive ever read on this site Rev

[CindyInIndy]

He wrote his sole suicide clue in dust and pollen on the outside of a car? He seems to hedge (AHEM!) his bet on the weather. One good rain, and he would be a missing person. Nah, something seems odd.

I watch a lot of CSI and Judge Judy, so I should know.