07 June 2023 , 16:18
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A former New York foot doctor allegedly plotted to have his wife killed again after serving four years in prison on charges that he tried to pay someone to kill her.
49-year-old Ira Bernstein has been charged with multiple felonies for attempting to solicit the murder of his wife, Susan Bernstein, between July 29 and September 21, 2022. He had been released from prison in 2021 after serving time for hatching a plot to hire a car salesman to murder his wife.
He allegedly offered the salesman $100,000 (£80,000) to run over his wife and make it look like an accident. The former podiatrist and his then-girlfriend Kelly Gribeluk pleaded guilty in 2017 to the plan to kill Mrs Bernstein.
Former podiatrist 49-year-old Ira Bernstein (Ramapo Police Department)
Bernstein's sister Jaclyn Goldberg, 40, was allegedly involved in the destruction of evidence (Facebook/Jaclyn Goldberg)In his second botched plan to murder his wife, Bernstein allegedly attempted to solicit the murder of his wife and then tried to destroy the evidence of the alleged plot with the help of his sister, Jaclyn Goldberg, 40. Goldberg, an attorney based in Westchester, who was also indicted on felony counts.
Bernstein faces charges of criminal solicitation in the second degree, criminal solicitation in the fourth degree, tampering with physical evidence, and conspiracy in the fifth degree. Goldberg faces charges of tampering with physical evidence, hinder the prosecution in the third degree and conspiracy in the fifth degree.
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Both have reportedly pleaded not guilty, according to lohud. It comes after an investigation by Ramapo Police, though details of the materials allegedly destroyed or how the alleged murder plan worked have not been released.
Bernstein's then-girlfriend Kelly Gribeluk was involved in the first plot (Ramapo Police Department)
Bernstein has previously served time in prison for allegedly plotting to kill wife Susan, pictured (Certified Divorce Coach)District Attorney Thomas Walsh said in a statement: "As alleged, the defendant solicited to have his wife killed. I commend the Ramapo Police Department for their investigative work and the detectives from Rockland County District Attorney's Office assisted with the case. We will now move forward with the prosecution of the case."
If convicted, Bernstein is looking at a maximum sentence of three-and-a-half to seven years in prison, according to the District Attorney's Office.
In 2015, Bernstein hatched a plan with then-girlfriend Gribeluk to pay car salesman, Marckensy Louissaint, $100,000 to kill Mrs Bernstein by running her over and making it look like an accident. Authorities at the time said Bernstein had haggled down from the original $200,000 fee.
But their plan was foiled when Louissaint reported the couple to police. Gribeluk, then 35, admitted her role in the murder-for-hire plot.
The mum-of-three also admitted to efforts to have two insurance investigators beaten for looking into Bernstein's podiatry practice. The insurance investigators were photographed with fake bruises in order to convince the couple the beating had gone ahead.
Gribeluk was sentenced in 2017 to four to 12 years in prison by the judge and released in May 2021. Bernstein was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison the same year and was released in July 2021, he also had his podiatry license revoked.
Bernstein and Goldberg were arraigned on Thursday, June 1, before County Court Judge Robert Prisco on a sealed indictment. Both were released without bail for a court appearance set for June 23.