Ze'ev Gershman, 32, allegedly provided customers with forged pay stubs.
By REBECCA ANNA STOILquill 88(photo credit: )
Ze'ev Gershman, a Bet Shemesh resident suspected of forging pay slips, made his first court appearance on Wednesday when police brought him before the Ramle Magistrate's Court to ask for a remand extension.
On Tuesday, investigators from the National Financial Crimes Unit arrested Gershman, 32, on suspicion that he provided people with forged pay stubs.
In the course of the monthslong investigation, the detectives employed an undercover policewoman who acquired fake pay slips in exchange for money while gathering evidence against Gershman. Police said that the evidence linked the suspect to distribution and forgery of the slips.
The investigation was opened after an advertisement published in a newspaper intrigued NFCU detectives. The advertisement, which included contact details leading to Gershman, presented him as a person who helped people produce pay slips.
Detectives planned out a long and careful investigation, including the use of the undercover agent. The policewoman paid hundreds of shekels for each fake pay slip that she acquired from Gershman.
Finally on Tuesday, officers raided the last meeting between Gershman and the undercover cop, arresting him after detectives observed him providing yet another pay slip in exchange for cash.
Detectives said they believed that Gershman had been operating for a long time, using the same method throughout the country. Gershman not only earned thousands of shekels for his illegal services, and his "career caused damage to public funds," police said.
A second suspect, an accountant by profession, was also arrested. Police said they were checking whether he was also involved in the forgery scam, and that there might be additional arrests.
Gershman's remand was extended by five days.
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