from app.com
LAKEWOOD — A man who had been living as an Orthodox Jew here is now in federal custody
in Kansas on passport fraud charges under the name "John A. Doe," stirring intense curiosity among members of the close-knit religious community about who he is.

Nathan James Levi was living on Forest Park Circle when federal authorities arrested him Feb. 21 on a 2002 warrant for submitting a fraudulent passport application in Wichita, Kan., according to court papers. A New jersey magistrate judge ordered Levi released on a $100,000 bail to return to Kansas to face the charges.

On March 24, a U.S. District Court judge detained Levi after determining that he was lying about his identity, according to the detention order. At that hearing, Levi said his real name was Ted Riley Floyd and that "it appears that Defendant is not Nathaniel James Levi, and that Nathaniel James Levi is in fact deceased."

"We essentially told the judge we can't trust he'll show up every time in court
because we just don't know who this guy is," Jim Cross, of the U.S. Attorney's office
in Kansas, said.

Levi at some point visited Partners in Torah, a Lakewood-based nonprofit group that helps people discover their Jewish roots by matching them up with a volunteer mentor, Shalom Rosenberg, the group's national follow-up coordinator, said.

"We had no reason to believe he was being dishonest about anything," said
Rosenberg, who could not say when or for how long Levi was involved with the
organization.

Rumors because circulating about an Orthodox Jew misrepresenting himself when the blog site, Yeshivaworld, posted a story Wednesday with the headline: "Lakewood Community Rocked By Non-Jewish Man Posing as Jew!"

As of noon today, the story has received 228 comments from speculative readers. There has been no indication that Levi is not Jewish.

In your voice
Read reactions to this story

VictoriaMargaret wrote:

I would do it too the Jews get away with everything
3/27/2008 12:19:45 PM
Recommend Report Abuse

Galicias wrote:

So true devilfish. Hey at least for once people can't comment that it was an "illegal alien" using the name of a deceased person. Wonder who or what he is hiding from....hmmmmm?
3/27/2008 12:19:18 PM
Recommend Report Abuse

devilfish wrote:

LOL...this is so funny. Are there any REAL Jews in Lakewood?
3/27/2008 12:14:44 PM
Recommend (1)

[color="Red"]FROM YESHIVA WORLD:
YWN EXCLUSIVE: Lakewood Community Rocked By Non-Jewish Man Posing As Jew!
March 27, 2008
[Click on image to ENLARGE] (Lakewood Staff Writer - YWN) The Lakewood Jewish community is shocked after learning that a “Frum” man living in the heart of Lakewood, was anything but Frum.

A source tells YWN, that a family has been living in the Forest Park area of Lakewood, NJ for the past few years, sent their kid to a Frum Yeshiva, Davened (prayed) three times a day, and was not even Jewish!

Apparently, a man posing as Mr. Natan Levi contacted “Partners In Torah” a few years back, and was interested in learning more about his “Jewish roots”. Naturally, the fabulous organization set him up with Chavrusas (study partners) to teach him all he wanted to know. The man seemed sincere that he wanted to become Frum (religious).

Eventually, the man was “Frum enough”, that he moved with his wife and kids from Kansas, and purchased a home in a prominent Development in the southern part of Lakewood, NJ. He enrolled one of his children in a Lakewood Yeshiva, and could be seen in Shul three times a day.

His charade came to a screeching halt last week - when the FBI suddenly arrived and whisked him away in handcuffs.

The charges?

Mr. Ted Larry Floyd, a Christian, had stolen the identity of a dead person by the name “Natan Levi”.

Mr. Floyd’s wife had apparently undergone some type of Geyrus (conversion process), although it is unclear who performed it, and if it is totally Kosher. His oldest child is 6-years-old.

YWN has not been able to confirm where the man is currently being held, although sources tell us he has been transferred to Kansas.

262 Comments »

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Was his wife (and kids to whatever level) in on the charade, or is she also a victim of his false identity?

Comment by midwesterner — March 26, 2008 @ 12:34 pm

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Now I know why its so hard to get into Lakewood schools,They do allot of research. Comment by jewish source — March 26, 2008 @ 12:35 pm

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Well since so many Frum people act like goyim, you knew this was bound to happen.
Comment by bobkatny — March 26, 2008 @ 12:37 pm

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Big Deal! Did he really do something so terrible? He wanted to live a frum lifestyle. He should of gone for geirus though.

Comment by Idealist — March 26, 2008 @ 12:38 pm

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CRAZY!

Comment by BYgirl — March 26, 2008 @ 12:39 pm

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at least MY kids are having a rough time getting into lakewood schools!!

Comment by vusizzicherizzicher — March 26, 2008 @ 12:42 pm

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Big Deal! Did he really do something so terrible?

Yes he did.

Identity theft is a crime. That’s why the FBI hauls people away for that.

In addition, how many minyanim did he participate in where there were only 10 men?

The Wolf

Comment by WolfishMusings — March 26, 2008 @ 12:45 pm

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Note the key statement near the bottom; the man is a Christian. There are a number of missionaries who are trying to penetrate our communities to proselytize us away from Hashem. I am a convert who was caught up in that mess for many years. I know what some of these missionaries will do, and I can assure you that there will be more. Sadly, we must be vigilant about who is coming into our communities.

Comment by binyamin_matisyahu — March 26, 2008 @ 12:51 pm

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dude was involved in a drug crime, apparently.

Comment by dovy6 — March 26, 2008 @ 12:52 pm

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version i heard was that he was an arab terrorist involved in 9/11 hiding out here in lkwd.
someone pls explain, what was his point? missionary? identity theft? drugs? pls explain. Comment by lakewoodsomebody — March 26, 2008 @ 12:57 pm

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Big Deal?!? The Guy just took out an $80,000 loan from a Gmach!

Comment by Ploni Almony — March 26, 2008 @ 12:58 pm

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there’s got to be more to this story something just doesn’t add up

Comment by Mar — March 26, 2008 @ 12:58 pm

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if a guy claims to be jewish, who says you have no right to believe him?

Comment by bobby57 — March 26, 2008 @ 12:58 pm

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wow that is wild

Comment by kosherman — March 26, 2008 @ 1:00 pm

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of course there are missionaries and we must be on guard, but doesnt seem that that was this guy’s motive. “Sof ganav leteliya”

Comment by amama — March 26, 2008 @ 1:01 pm

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Crazy. Sounds good for us here. Now are we supposed to walk around thinking is this guy a faker? Which schools were his kids in?

Comment by maidelfromlakewood — March 26, 2008 @ 1:03 pm

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what’s with the geyrus anybody knows this guy personally

Comment by kollelboker — March 26, 2008 @ 1:03 pm

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Crazy. Are we supposed to walk around thinking “Is this guy a faker”? Thats insane. And which schools did he send his kids to? Maybe partners in Torah should check out their people before pairing them up.

Comment by maidelfromlakewood — March 26, 2008 @ 1:05 pm

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uh-oh. now we have a “dudes pretending to be yidden crisis” on our hands. oh, the humanity of it all. when will this end?

Comment by telegrok — March 26, 2008 @ 1:06 pm

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#4 YOU ARE CRAZY
Do u want your kids inviting over friends when they are really CHRISTIAN??

Comment by maidelfromlakewood — March 26, 2008 @ 1:08 pm

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The entire LKWD is in major shock! Supposedly this guy sat & learnt for a few years in BMG!

What really needs to be investigated is - what was his long-term plan. This imposter was mammash living in the heart of LKWD! Boruch Hashem, he was caught before he commited any more crimes….
Comment by lkwdfellow — March 26, 2008 @ 1:09 pm

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How many people ate food from that house?!?

Comment by saychel — March 26, 2008 @ 1:10 pm

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How did they catch him? There has to be more to the story

Comment by maidelfromlakewood — March 26, 2008 @ 1:11 pm

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I heard that he was learning in a chasuva chabura in B.E.

I don’t know how someone can pull it off with a 6 year old child, unless the child was being raised totally frum. If there were any other mixed messages in the home, it would be too risky for the child to expose. The wife could have been in on it as well.

The question is, what if he started with unpure intentions, and then got inspired and wants to continue his journey? (Obviously, we have no way of knowing his true feelings, and we have to weed him out, bt if we did “know” what would be the right thing then?)

Comment by gater — March 26, 2008 @ 1:11 pm

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he was indeed “frum” he was a frum christian

Comment by Genug Shoin — March 26, 2008 @ 1:16 pm

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what is scary is that if he never got caught, and continued his “frum jewish life” who knows who would have married his child! and wouldnt know that the parents are not even jewish which means their children are not jewish. What a mess that would be!

Comment by sruly613 — March 26, 2008 @ 1:19 pm

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# 11 you say he took $80,000 loan from a Gmach… which gemach in the world would give ANYONE (even a yid with yichus till moshe rabbeinu) 80K for a loan??? your smokin somthing?
BTW: was he a a YWN poster? under what name?

Comment by 08701lakewood — March 26, 2008 @ 1:20 pm

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Well since so many Frum people act like goyim, you knew this was bound to happen.

A dumb, irrational comment.

Comment by kishke — March 26, 2008 @ 1:21 pm

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In light of the scorn heaped on non-frum Jews and the exclusivity of the level of learning at Lakewood, here was a non-Jew who could ‘pass’ at BMG and elsewhere for several years. One must question some of these premises.Perhaps less focus on the external superficial issues which seem to dominate and look to the essence.

Comment by charvona — March 26, 2008 @ 1:22 pm

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this is really scary!! we are really in galus! to think that someone could do something so outrageous like this! it hurts me so much to see how he took such advantage of us Jews and our wonderful organizations, like the fact that he stole $82,000 from a Gemach!! How dare he do something totally despicable!
now please don’t blame “Partners In Torah”. They are a wonderful organization who does so much for the klal. They make matches Jewish adults who want to know more about their heritage with a friendly, knowledgeable mentor for an hour a week of Jewish study and discussion. It would be impossible for them to conduct a background check on each person that would want to join!

Comment by TotallyNuts — March 26, 2008 @ 1:23 pm

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i heard from someone close to the situation that this individual had a significant kesher with R’ Matisyahu Solomon shlita

Comment by zalmy — March 26, 2008 @ 1:23 pm

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The worst part of it is that he actually wrote many volumes of shailos and teshuvos and was well on his way to becoming a renowned posek. He was even giving semicha to others.

(Just kidding. Couldn’t resist.)

Comment by Pashuteh Yid — March 26, 2008 @ 1:24 pm

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Who is this guy? could you post a pic of this guy?

Comment by NotStam — March 26, 2008 @ 1:24 pm

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#27 “BTW: was he a a YWN poster? under what name?”

that was really an interesting thought!! maybe he was that guy who posed to be “INSHIDDUCHIM” on Yeshivaworld! Now that would be really freeky!

Comment by TotallyNuts — March 26, 2008 @ 1:26 pm

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everyone should learn a big lesson from this -IF YOU DON’T KNOW SOMEONES GRANDPARENTS, AND GREATGRANDPARENTS, YOU SHOULD NOT ALLOW YOURE CHILDREN TO PLAY WITH THEIR CHILDERN!
maybe they should start a Vaad Liyichus Yisroel, and make everyone list their lineage before getting into a school in lakewood!

Comment by freezer — March 26, 2008 @ 1:26 pm

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THIS THING IS TOTALY BEYOND CRAZY. HEY LAKEWOODERS, MAYBE YOU SHOULD CHANGE THE WAY YOU PEOPLE LOOK AT OTHERS-LIKE WHAT TYPE OF SCHOOL YOUR CHILDREN GO TO. OR ACCEPT THOSE THAT APPLY AND THEN YOU WON’T HAVE SUCH CRAZY ISSUES

Comment by girly — March 26, 2008 @ 1:28 pm

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#32 [Pashuteh Yid]: Good one, shadchan!

Comment by DeliberatelyEsoteric — March 26, 2008 @ 1:31 pm

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This is very strange. There is no such person listed in the Cheder phonebook for 2007 or 2008, nor under Excite or Verizon. Do you suppose he is unlisted everywhere?

Comment by sarah yarok — March 26, 2008 @ 1:33 pm

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I wonder if the reason he did this was to hide from something in his past life.

[color="Red"]In high school I had a friend who lived alone with her old father. She was a fantastic frum girl, went to a good seminary and was starting out in shiduchim. As far as she knew her mother had died when she was very young. She even used to say yizkor for her mother.

About a year after seminary her father told her the truth. He had been married to her mother who was a non-jew and they got divorced. When my friend was 4 years old her father kidnapped her during one of his visitations. He said it was well known that it’s easy to hide in the frum community so he became frum.

Comment by Momof5 — March 26, 2008 @ 1:34 pm

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a professional faker he even made many siyum on mesechtos

Comment by hadid — March 26, 2008 @ 1:35 pm

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He was arrested for identity theft. I am sure it wasn’t for Tzidkus

Comment by benuri — March 26, 2008 @ 1:36 pm

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this guys story was legit.the community he got involved with even checked his nameand family records.idont think the people are at fault.infact the only way the fbi gothim was bec they ran a check on a social the he used for his house and meanwhile the guy as fro 20 yrs.

Comment by ales mit cavuneh — March 26, 2008 @ 1:39 pm

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I personally know netan and his family very well. Unfortunately, this all doesn’t add up. This guy was one of the most eccentric figures you’ll ever meet. Having said that though, he was an extremely nice, polite and what seemed to be a straight up guy. In fact, this guy taught me a few things about hwo to learn a gemara my wife and I are in shock right now as Im sure the whole kehila is. When I started dictating this article to my wife though, before metnioning the name, she screamed out “Netan!”

Comment by lkwdman101 — March 26, 2008 @ 1:40 pm

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How come I don’t see a “Natan levi” in the Lakewood telephone directory? Was that the name he used in Lakewood? Or did he assume a third name for his life in Lakewood?

Comment by boruchhashem — March 26, 2008 @ 1:43 pm

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I also do have a picture of him, many. His website was levydesign.org - apparently he took it down recently

Comment by lkwdman101 — March 26, 2008 @ 1:45 pm

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I guess the “kiruv” org’s have to do some yichus research, before bringing a stranger into klal yisroel.

Comment by loyalyid — March 26, 2008 @ 1:45 pm

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#38 Sara Yarok, and #44-if you look on whitepages.com he comes up as netanel and jamie…

Comment by freezer — March 26, 2008 @ 1:47 pm

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DELETED BY MODERATOR.

Comment by sarah yarok — March 26, 2008 @ 1:48 pm

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im sure the guy couldnt help being impressed with how wARM AND GIVING jews are,and although a takalah couldve came out of this when his kids got older etc. i thank hashem for exposing the guy before any serious damage was done,but cant help feeling alittle proud about the kiddush hashem that was probably made.those yrs of learning definitly changed the man and will probably have long term results and that will be another story.

Comment by ales mit cavuneh — March 26, 2008 @ 1:53 pm

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dear lkwdman101

are you the author of this article? If not why would you have been “dictating it”?

Comment by sinaisent — March 26, 2008 @ 1:55 pm

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From now on, no modern othodox or YU rabbi will marry anyone from Lakewood unless he or she can prove that he or she is Jewish. They will have to bring go back at least 5 doros to prove their Jewishness. Letters from Lakewood Rabbis attesting to one’s Jewisness with not help. In effect all Lakewood Jews are now in the freezer as far as marrying out to the MO community.

The MO Rabbis will go to Israel to study how the Rabbis there ban people from marrying because of a chaehash that they are not Jewish.

This is better than a belated Purim shpiel.

Comment by mkarpas — March 26, 2008 @ 1:55 pm

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Does anyone remember “Mrs. Drew” in London a few years ago? Mrs. Drew was actually a MAN [wanted for murder] who found himself a great hiding place as a “ba’alat teshuva” in the frum community & actually taught in a well-known Bais Yaakov school until the FBI caught up to him. Methinks that our friend Natan must have some similar secret & found a great hiding place in Lakewood… Scary

Comment by DeliberatelyEsoteric — March 26, 2008 @ 1:57 pm

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ONLY IN LAKEWOOD COULD SUCH STORIES HAPPEN!

Comment by holyland — March 26, 2008 @ 1:58 pm

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And with a name like “Levi” he could have claimed to be a “levi” and gotten Levi aliyos. The kohanim who merited having him wash their hands before birchas kohanim must feel horrible and disgusted.

The original “Natan Levi” could have indeed been a Levi.

Comment by Bar26 — March 26, 2008 @ 2:00 pm

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Did he have an ‘ishur’ for internet usage??

Comment by Ani Tapuach — March 26, 2008 @ 2:01 pm

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hold on every one
before we get excited
Lets find out if this is true at all

then also lets find out why it was assumed he was jewish?
did he or his kid get a briss
Hagoan Rav Elyashiv shlit”a hold unless you know 100% that he is a yid, you may not perform a bris on him.
lets take it easy till we have more details .lets not get high blood pressure before its warranted
Either way, it is definitely possible for such a story to happen
what are the kiruv places doing abut it in the future?
Mr. Harry

Comment by Mr. Harry — March 26, 2008 @ 2:03 pm

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#35 - I know you’re being sarcastic but ayin the Gemarah in the 4th perek of Kiddushin which discusses lineage issues. Ezra pretty much did exactly what you suggest when klal yisroel went from Bavel to Eretz Yisroel. So your joke isn’t so funny, it actually happened.

Comment by NoFear — March 26, 2008 @ 2:05 pm

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#45 maybe post a pic. of him so we could know who we are talking about.

Comment by NotStam — March 26, 2008 @ 2:09 pm

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check out his interest on a forum he was a member of:

Computer:
Intel Imac, Intel Mac Mini, Intel Powerbook
Location:
New Jersey
Interests:
Photoshopping celeb pics
Occupation:
Digital Design

Comment by lkwdman — March 26, 2008 @ 2:11 pm

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Atah Tapuach! He ran his website from the public library’s computer room.

Comment by DeliberatelyEsoteric — March 26, 2008 @ 2:14 pm

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#57, i wasn’t joking, i am actually quiet serious. i don’t know about you, but i am going to be extra cautious about who my kids play with.

Comment by freezer — March 26, 2008 @ 2:15 pm

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U can see some of his site here: http://web.archive.org/web/20070627075817/www.levydesign.org/Home.html

Comment by amshi_h — March 26, 2008 @ 2:17 pm

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He wrote a Kuntress on amira leakum

Comment by yo yo — March 26, 2008 @ 2:19 pm

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#8, Can you please elaborate what you meant by you are a convert that “was caught up in that mess for many years”? Are you personally familiar with the tactics and methods used by these missionaries? Were you ever accused of being such? Perhaps we can all benefit from your experience.

Comment by Abisselsaichel — March 26, 2008 @ 2:19 pm

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When does this get labeled as the “Identity Crisis”?

Comment by theshmoozer — March 26, 2008 @ 2:24 pm

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#53, I just love the condescending tone: “Only in Lakewood”. Naw, it could NEVER happen in, say, London,….oh wait..it did happen, and in at least one other small city as well, many years ago.

Comment by metzapeh leyeshua — March 26, 2008 @ 2:27 pm

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oh my this is really freaky! is there a reason why he did this? maybe he’s working for some mafia or something!

Comment by lgbg — March 26, 2008 @ 2:27 pm

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As I mentioned I know him very well he did not write any books or kuntress. He did make many siyumim, I think he just finished shabbos a month or so ago (goy sheshabbos chayav missa)

Comment by lkwdman101 — March 26, 2008 @ 2:29 pm

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How could this happen? a Goy can’t make cholont, didn’t he have people over on Shabbos?

Comment by chesedname — March 26, 2008 @ 2:32 pm

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I am very shocked that the people in shul did not catch on when he davened for the amud. and Skipped shelo asany goy!

Comment by dasyosher — March 26, 2008 @ 2:32 pm

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Now that everyone is fully steeped in this “excitement”, WHAT IF: he really IS Jewish, really IS Natan, but got involved with a Christian cult of some sort many years ago,(even before meeting his wife), and the missionaries helped declare Natan as dead so that he could “break away” from his Judaism, and gave him a new Christian identity (Ted Larry Floyd) and S.S.#? Then in later years he had Charata, went back to Yiddishkeit with partners in Torah, and assumed he could just pick up where he left off, hiding his past mistake — not realizing the FBI would detect his using a “dead man’s” S.S.#? Hmmmmm…Maybe, just maybe, we are all guilty of being mekabel lashon horah on a person who has a chezkas kashrus? Just food for thought for those of us who like to know the facts BEFORE condemning a person.

Comment by metzapeh leyeshua — March 26, 2008 @ 2:35 pm

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I don’t understand why can it be that he is a ger (which means he was not jewish and now he is) and he did something wrong why is everyone saying that he is for sure not a ger?

Comment by happy — March 26, 2008 @ 2:35 pm

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everyone should learn a big lesson from this -IF YOU DON’T KNOW SOMEONES GRANDPARENTS, AND GREATGRANDPARENTS, YOU SHOULD NOT ALLOW YOURE CHILDREN TO PLAY WITH THEIR CHILDERN!

Utter lunacy.

Comment by kishke — March 26, 2008 @ 2:38 pm

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I once heard a story that happened by the Node B’yehudah. There was a Talmud that was a goy and learnt in his yeshiva pretending to be a yid.

The Node B’yehudah got suspicious about it and confronted him. The goy admitted it. The Node B’yehudah later said that this was no ruach hokodesh but simply that a yid has a nature that he sways when he learns and davens and this person sat like a klutz with no movement whatsoever. That’s why he suspected it.

Anybody recall this persons behavior?

Comment by phone — March 26, 2008 @ 2:43 pm

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#69, that is how he got caught. People hated his cholent and figured it all out.

Comment by Pashuteh Yid — March 26, 2008 @ 2:43 pm

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If he was using the identity Natan Levi, why would anyone suspect him more of being not Jewish than anyone else? I know it’s still close to Purim, but some of the comments here are downright silly. Who is to know that somewhere in Floyd’s background there weren’t Jews? And how likely is it an entirely family with little kids could pull of a charade like this.

Comment by flatbusher — March 26, 2008 @ 2:44 pm

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Kishke, please do not make fun of my comment.
As you see from this story, you can never be too careful. What if YOUR son or daughter would be friends of his kids-would n’t you be afraid about what nonesense he was feeding your kids??!!! he was christian!!!
Don’t be so naive as to think this story is an isolated one.

Comment by freezer — March 26, 2008 @ 2:44 pm

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To #63 - I know who you’re talking about…this is not the person who wrote that kuntress.

Comment by metzapeh leyeshua — March 26, 2008 @ 2:44 pm

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Was he getting a Kollel check?

Comment by kidushA — March 26, 2008 @ 2:44 pm

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This is his youtube profile, along with a picture - http://www.youtube.com/user/netanlevy

is this the guy?

Comment by yossisiegel — March 26, 2008 @ 2:45 pm

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to 68. goy sheshabbos chayav missa is only when he keeps 24 hours first the day and then the night.
Since he probably made havdolo motzei shabbos it doesn’t apply, unless he went to a Rebbe’s tish till the morning.

Comment by plp — March 26, 2008 @ 2:47 pm

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#80 thats him alright

Comment by lkwdman101 — March 26, 2008 @ 2:48 pm

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I am assuming the “facts” reported are correct. This is upsetting. It is always hard to learn you have been mislead, and there is yet a “new” sheker in galus- especially one which could have adversely affected our Yiddishkite practice(and that there may be others not yet exposed). But I would not suspect any of the additional plots I see listed here, without real evidence.

1) The reason people bother to steal any identity is because they want to hide and it works. Despite all our computerization, it is not so easy to be discovered, unless the “real” person complains, or somehow the fact that the person is dead comes to light. This is a case where privacy laws unfortunately help protect the wrong people.

2) There are many criminals who are very charismatic, and instead of putting HaShem’s gift to good use, they become con artists or the like. I have been interested in this, and in my reading it seems the almost single minded reason for choosing a replacement identity is that they can successfully slide into that role AND get more goodies as a result. He probably learned somewhere how generous frum people can be with each other. The thief may be hiding out of fear of their past, but they also usually enjoy the “game” of spending months or years fooling people and working up to running off with more money dishonestly gained.

3) There is a very good chance that neither his wife nor child were in on this, and that they are also victims of major betrayal.

We can do our best to protect ourselves, but we are not in control. We can’t spend our whole lives investigating everything and everyone.
I got some of the best, basic self-protective information from the book “Stealing Your Life” (not a Jewish book & a library book) but beyond that, I tell myself my life has to go on, and that means risks included and that I need to remember to trust that HaShem will help me and all of us with the challenges we are sent.

Comment by AvodasChesedOutofTwn — March 26, 2008 @ 2:49 pm

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Hello,
This is Lee Kushnir, from CBS in NYC. Identity fraud is a serious crime, and we are trying to work on this story. If there is anyone here who personally knew Mr. Levi, or has any more details regarding the arrest, please email me at lkushnir@cbs.com, or call me in the newsroom, (212) 975-5867.
Thank you.
-Lee

Comment by LeeKushnir — March 26, 2008 @ 2:51 pm

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When someone tells a kiruv organization that he/she is jewish and they say their father and mother are Jewish what are you supposed to do? If someone wants to fool you they will fool you. I know someone who is this man’s chavrusa and he can tell you a shtikel torah like any other yungerman in BMG! Where he learnt for the last few YEARS!

Comment by toaster — March 26, 2008 @ 2:59 pm

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If you have info, give it to the police or the FBI. Not to some new reporter who will use whatever he has to be malshin in some way on the frum oilam. Even if the new reporter is savvy enough to find TheYeshivaWorld.com

Comment by midwesterner — March 26, 2008 @ 2:59 pm

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Maybe he was counted as number ten in a Minyin. How sad he got away with it for all these years.

Comment by maidelfromlakewood — March 26, 2008 @ 3:00 pm

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Wow! - CBS comes to YWN for news tips!

Comment by gemorakop — March 26, 2008 @ 3:00 pm

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I know someone personally that went to his wedding as a Chesed to fill it up. NEBACH

Comment by maidelfromlakewood — March 26, 2008 @ 3:02 pm

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This is just weird if it is true as reported. But, it does to bring to mind this story I heard:

The below story brings to mind an interesting shaila. A goy, in the process of converting, asked this one:
He was told that until he becomes a Jew, al pi halacha, he is not allowed to keep shabbos. So, he is lighting a match (or, I guess, doing some other melacha) every shabbos so as not to keep it. But, d’oraysa, he is not really oiver on shabbos b/c it is a melacha sheeina tzricha l’gufo, and thus he is not mechayev.
I believe that R’ Pam paskened that for a goy, a d’rabanan is good enough.

Comment by Lawman — March 26, 2008 @ 3:05 pm

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I just found his myspace page and facebook. He lists his hobbies as learning gemara, and says he’s from Lakewood, but at the same lists the “Beatles” as his favorite rock group!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Someone should have known this guy had some issues.
I found this all under his website, netanlevy.com. The website is no longer available, but the trick to getting the website to still come up is to put the website address into google search and then click on “Cached”.

Comment by Whistleblower1 — March 26, 2008 @ 3:05 pm

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There was a question about a conversion for his wife. If she really is jewish (maybe it was a good geyrus and she wasn’t in on the fraud), then the kids are jewish. Will she or they ever get a chance to be part of a frum community with all these posts making fun of them on yeshivaworld? I hope everyone they deal with will reserve judgement until they know the whole story (especially for the children’s sake).

We are not supposed to remind a baal teshuva about the aveiros they did in the past, I would assume that it certainly would be the case regarding aveiros their parents or spouse did.

Comment by veryoutoftowner — March 26, 2008 @ 3:10 pm

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from netanlevy.com

Netan Levy
Rantings of a deranged mind…

Comment by gater — March 26, 2008 @ 3:16 pm

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I wonder if he had a bris as well.

Comment by Rav Mechel — March 26, 2008 @ 3:21 pm

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Yeah he was always Netan Levy…just he went under the name Ted Larry Floyd in Kansas to fit in…now that he is Lakewood he was able to reveal his true identity….

Comment by gater — March 26, 2008 @ 3:25 pm

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This is the tip of the iceberg. Why aren’t there any checks made of the “kashrus” of a Chassan & Kallah?

In the UK, the Bais Din insists on seeing ORIGINAL Kesubahs for verification. Here in the US, no one asks for anything, & my kids…they all married foreigners & no one cared enough to check if they were Jewish! (Obviously, WE did, but the Mesadek Kedushin didn’t ask any questions, except wanting to know if one of the aidim (a clean-shaven, MO family friend) could write his name in Hebrew.)

So this kind of fraud is really easy to do. Why are you all so shocked??

Comment by bestbubby — March 26, 2008 @ 3:26 pm

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Is everyone sure that this is not a visa versa situation and this guy is really not a Jew and being persecuted and falsely accused? Just checking…

Comment by KSN — March 26, 2008 @ 3:27 pm

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Here is an example of his rantings and ravings: (Thanx #91 for the tip about chached.)

A Day in my life… (rantings and ravings)

Every day, I am less and less surprised by the utter stupidity which clouds itself in human form. From the richest of men, to the lowliest, stupidity enshrouds itself deep within the lack of intellect, and masquerades as self proclaimed common sense, completely fooling those whom heed its folly, into believing that it is an intellectual though process worthy of mention, and frolics around attempting to provoke though from those whom actually posses a form of intellectual stimuli.

Comment by midwesterner — March 26, 2008 @ 3:28 pm

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If you ever “read” A Stranger Among Us..you would remember that was the way they infiltrated into the community.

Comment by gater — March 26, 2008 @ 3:29 pm

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DELETED BY MODERATOR.

Comment by 08701lakewood — March 26, 2008 @ 3:31 pm

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Now I understand, no one ever knew why he was the only one to be maikel on amira leakum letzoreich mitzvah, we are machmir. He held that it was amirah leamira, which he held to be a shvus deshvus bemakom mitzvah……..

Comment by Harotzehbilumshmo — March 26, 2008 @ 4:11 pm

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I davened with this guy… being a levi you can imagine how many times the last 3 years he went up to the sefer torah for an aliya … how many shem Hashem lashav’s there were, makes me shiver.

Comment by lkwdman101 — March 26, 2008 @ 4:14 pm

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DELETED BY MODERATOR.

Comment by 08701lakewood — March 26, 2008 @ 4:14 pm

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08701lakewood:

Comment by homeboy1 — March 26, 2008 @ 4:16 pm

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If # 86 is correct, why is YW posting # 84

Comment by Annoy — March 26, 2008 @ 4:18 pm

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does anyone know why he had to change his name?

Comment by LAKEWOOD ZAIDY — March