Ex-Agriprocessors manager appeals extradition

CEDAR RAPIDS - A former Agriprocessors manager who fled to Israel after being accused of harboring illegal workers was set to be extradited back to Iowa nearly a year ago but never came back, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan said Wednesday that Hosam Amara, 47, is fighting extradition and has appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court.

Authorities located Amara and arrested him March 31, 2011 based on a request for extradition issued in 2009. Amara was first indicted Nov. 20, 2008 on charges stemming from a May 2008 immigration raid at the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in Postville.

The cases of Amara and Zeev Levi, another Agriprocessors manager who authorities said also fled to Israel after being charged, are the last two to be resolved in connection with the raid. Levi remains a fugitive.

If convicted of all charges, Amara faces up to 260 years in prison and a $6.7 million fine.

A jury in November 2009 convicted former Agriprocessors vice president Sholom Rubashkin, 52, of 86 counts of bank, mail and wire fraud, money laundering and failure to pay livestock providers in a timely manner.

There also were several supervisors, managers and employees charged and convicted in connection with the raid.