Marijuana trafficker murdered execution-style in Los Angeles
EXCLUSIVE: Akiva (David) Saltzman was found dead of a gunshot inside a torched car on Oct. 3. His lawyer, Howard Jacobs, said he was shot through the car window then the vehicle was set on fire.


A marijuana trafficker awaiting sentencing in Brooklyn Federal Court was murdered execution-style in Los Angeles, the Daily News has learned.

Akiva (David) Saltzman, 32, was found dead of a gunshot wound inside a torched auto on Oct. 3.

Saltzman’s lawyer, Howard Jacobs, said it appeared his client had been shot through the window and then the vehicle set on fire.

Saltzman had pleaded guilty two years ago to conspiracy to distribute marijuana, but a law enforcement source said Saltzman was not a snitch.

“I don’t think it is related to the case,” Jacobs told The Daily News.

Saltzman was a West Coast cog tasked with delivering illicit cash as part of a massive pot-dealing ring based in Staten Island and headed by cannabis kingpin Jonathan Braun, an Orthodox Jew who lived with his parents.

“As I explained in my original proffer, the only time I ever sort of got a general understanding of the extent of this enterprise was when I read it in The Daily News on the Internet,” Saltzman told Magistrate Viktor Pohorelsky on Sept. 7, 2012.

Another knowledgeable source said there was speculation that Saltzman might have been a government cooperator.

Saltzman, an aspiring actor who had studied at the Circle in the Square Theater School, was only facing 12 to 18 months in prison. No date had been scheduled for the sentencing.

A spokesman for the L.A. coroner’s office said a final cause of death is still under investigation.

Marijuana kingpin Jonathan Braun ran major drug ring from Staten Island home: feds
BY EDGAR SANDOVAL , JOHN MARZULLI DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS Thursday, June 3, 2010, 12:40 AM A A A

From a quiet block on Staten Island, a marijuana kingpin ran an international pot-smuggling operation - bringing 100,000 kilos across the Canadian border, the feds say.

The feds raided the modest Buchanan Ave. house where Jonathan Braun, 27, lived with his Orthodox Jewish parents while consorting with biker gangs, court papers say.

"He's the real deal," a law enforcement source said of Braun, who has a bail hearing in Brooklyn Federal Court today. "He's huge."

Braun employed a small army of boatmen and drivers who used vehicles with hidden compartments to transport pot from Canada through the Akwesasne Native American reservations to New York, court papers say.

Proceeds from street-level dealers went back across the border - to Braun's Canadian bosses, sources said.

Braun, who has ties to the Hells Angels and Canada's West End gangs, was in charge of the organization's U.S. operation, sources said.

His weed is peddled throughout New York City and Long Island and he virtually locked up the marijuana market on Staten Island, sources said.

Before Braun was charged last week, nearly 60 members of the organization were arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration agents.

Inside his home, agents seized $30,000 in cash, at least 16 cell phones and BlackBerry devices, packaging materials and drug records that reference "hundreds of separate marijuana shipments totaling tens of thousands of kilograms," Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Tiscione said in court papers.

Braun allegedly fled to Israel last year after DEA agents raided one of his stash houses in Staten Island.

"While abroad, Braun continued to direct the operations of his drug organization by using encrypted BlackBerry devices to communicate with his underlings and drug customers," Tiscione said.

After $100,000 in marijuana was stolen from a stash house in California, Braun allegedly flew out to the West Coast and whipped a worker with a belt for failing to watch the location.

The feds also intercepted text messages indicating Braun had made enemies.

"You deserve to get locked in a cage like the animal you are...[your] family will be proud of [their] son...your money is not going to be worth d---," a criminal associate warned Braun.

Neighbors on tree-lined Buchanan Ave. were floored by the allegations.

"His father is a very hard worker," said Thomas Eapen, 65. "He [Jonathan] seemed like a nice young man. I would have never imagined."

Braun's high-powered defense lawyer Gerald Shargel declined comment last night.

This kid flipped over 12 to 18 months?

This is why you're better off going to work now-a-days. 18months.....I could sit on the toilet for that long.

That shit is funny. But why do black gangs in general dont have the discipline as other hispanic gangs especially in the southwest. Obviously not all Hispanic gangs are as disciplined but why are black gangs in general lack discipline or are very proned to inner gang wars. Baltimore, New Orleans, Chicago (though there are hispanic gangs there.contributing to the dozens.of shootings that take place) but 10 deadliest American citiea are predominantly black not to be politically incorrect but why is that Scorsces/the OP? Not to start a race baiting war or racist comments from many posters here excluding me and small minority of non racists.

Link below is to recently published article that also mentions Jonathan Braun in passing.

"Staten Island man helps feds bust up Canada marijuana pipeline"

http://nydn.us/2q1IxJN

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If you scroll up to the older posts in this thread, you'll read that Staten Island resident Braun was answerable to the Canadian-based Hells Angels and the West End Gang.

I can't comment on the level of wiseguys dealing in H . My gut tells me there is a crew or 2 in the Gambinios that still wholesale a considerable amount of H . The history, channels and connections have been there for so long I can't see them walking completely away from that business . Zero dominance that they had in the 70s-80s but I can still see 1,000 kilo a year crew

But Marajuana dealing is where some guys are making a ton of $ still , maybe $1,000+ per pound and the transportation is so much easier and quasi legit as your buying from a state where it's legal and probably a licensed grower selling their excess. Multiple million dollar operations likely going on . Also on Staten Island it's an area where if you arent paying for protection , someone is going to rob you - 6 figure type scores. No inside info but this biz in SI still has the old school crime structure . I'm sure same thing happens in Queens area where a lot of Italians still reside . Plenty of old school robbery scores for the guys in the weed biz .

Its legal to grow up to 12 plants here in mass i gonna have about 4 i dont smoke but just like to see shit grow. Its should be warm anuff in about 2 more weeks. Ill ask around my friends that smoke if they can spear a few seeds. But all this new good weed doesnt have any. Have to find a good mids one. I wanna see how low tye price drops on bud around here after summer ends and all the hippy farmers in the sticks who no how to grow just kill the market. People way out in the berkshires will have weed trees 10 feet high.

Ment flood the market all the weed grown out western mass will flood nyc believe.

Or attornery general seesions unleshes the black hawks and burns mass down come fall.

Its gonna be crazy seeing people have big plants in the city on there front porches and stuff roofs. Front yard. Think kids cnt see it but i dont no yet.

I live up on the northshore and planted a seed of a strain called " girlscout cookies" in one of those fabric pots last summer... by September it was over 9 ft tall and the top was at even level of the rain gutter on the first floor. Shit grows like madd and I just watered it with the tomatos and peppers.

Weeds always been a big business here on the northshore even before everything got legalized, there's kids just like the one mentioned above that live in their parents basements moving 100lbs a month like it's nothing...making a killlling.

I no i wanna see how low the price drops come fall. The asian around still have the best shit n grow rooms and contacts to cali and canada. Will see how it goes after every tom dick n jerry has there own crop by fall.

Whatever happened to Braun anyway? I guess he told too? Seems wierd he plead guilty to large scale trafficking and never went to prison

I agree Pmac , will be very interesting

Right now and this is total gossip but CA prices still seem to work . If anyone wants to understand the investment strategy of merger arbitrage that hedge funds engage in - think taking advantage of market price in CA vs NY . I have heard there is still a $1,000 delta, lol. New western MA guys could totally change it up . will be interesting to see how the big wholesalers play it . CA to NY has been going on for awhile now , very smooth . Regardless if still illegal in NY and NJ some crews will be up to the next in this trade

Your post made me laugh. You won't be allowed to have it visible in the front yard area. If you do, then you'd be a moron. Grow in the backyard. Over here in Cali, every house has a fence or wall around it, very private compared to back east. I bet you'll have to put up a fence around your property with locks on the side gates. Good luck.

Article published online today about Jonathan Braun, who faces more legal troubles as a result of his actions at a party last year.

Suit: Pot kingpin shoved man off deck during Staten Island engagement party

http://s.silive.com/ulDPeSl

^^^^
Jonathan Braun, a marijuana trafficker who built a predatory lending company while free on bail, was sentenced to 10 years in prison

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...sentenced-to-10-years-for-smuggling-weed

^^^^
Gone to pot: International marijuana smuggler from Staten Island sentenced to 10 years

http://s.silive.com/CvXk73H

^^^^
Drug smuggler linked to Canadian Hells Angels gets last-minute pardon from Donald Trump

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada...ast-minute-pardon-from-donald-trump.html

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Wow! I had never read about this kid. He was at that level and "turned" snitch? and they gave him "6 months" for it? Lol..... Believe me he didn't "turn" snitch, he was born one!!

This punk fuck made millions obviously, then swung to "payday" loans and made another bundle. And as soon as he's grabbed he diarrhea's on everyone. I just read that Trump commuted his sentence too? LOL...

A fucking stone rat!! Yet Trump wanted all his "WH" "associates to stand up and take it on the chin for him? He hates rats, huh? So why that asshole move?

Alan Dershowitz was the kids lawyer too. He must have whispered in Trump's ear, and probably got the kid to pay a huge envelope under the table for a "commutation"..... what else could it be?

I state here and now that we (as Americans) deserve everything we get, because we've created and allowed a nation of "RATS" "STOOL", PIDGEONS" and "WHISTLE BLOWERS" to exist and thrive!.....We allow scumbags like this punk kid, and all the other rats, former wise guys, and everyone else who talks, who should NOT get the "deals" they do.

There are NO MORE MEN! There are NO MORE STAND UP GUYS! ...... What the fuck has happened to the world! Nobody has a backbone anymore. They act like tough guys until the shit hits the fan and then collapse? And don't kid yourself, this "disease" is present in all corners of society, upper world and underworld alike.

When I grew up, if anybody in our neighborhood became a rat, they were a pariah. They and their families would not only be shunned by everyone, even the legit people, but they'd get their head cracked open (literally), or worse. Much worse.

And know what? They'd deserve it too! And nobody would shed a single tear. After all, they was Rats and traitors!

What is happening today totally disgusts me! Shame on all of us for allowing it. (even the cops and prosecutors who utilize these POS's despise these weasels)

I'm appalled. You even thinking that The Donald would take an envelope for some kind of nefarious activities :-(
Probably more like a suitcase full of dead Presidents ;-)

To be honest, if you flip over 12 to 18 months you're a wimp. Plain and simple. The thing is that being such a wimp, doesn't happen overnight. The guy probably was a wuss from the beginning yet he managed to make millions in the marijuana trade. It's very telling that guys like this are able to get this far in organized crime these days.

Yep.... A BORN punk!