Postville, Iowa: Agriprocessors' former CEO Sholom Rubashkin pleaded not guilty today in U.S. District Court to 12-counts involving illegal immigrants, identity theft and bank fraud. Rubashkin, 49, of Postville, was charged with two additional charges in this second superseding indictment of harboring undocumented aliens for profit and conspiracy to commit document fraud. He was previously charged with conspiracy to harbor undocumented aliens for profit, aiding and abetting document fraud, six counts of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft and two counts of bank fraud. Rubashkin, who remains in custody until his Jan. 20, 2009 trial, appeared in court wearing a bright orange sweat jacket over a jail jumpsuit and shackled in wrist and ankle chains. He was humming to himself when he entered the courtroom. Several family members attended the hearing. The U.S. Marshal's warned the members after the hearing that contact was prohibited. Rubashkin greeted them with a big smile and some told him "We'll see you soon." F. Montgomery Brown of West Des Moines, Rusbashkin's attorney, asked the judge for clarification on motion filing dates. The dates had been confusing because of the two superseding indictments. U.S. Magistrate Jon Scoles agreed with Brown that this was a confusing case because of the number of defendants and the different indictments. Brown said he may be asking for a continuance. Scoles also said Agriprocessors, Inc., as a company, will be arraigned Dec. 5, on the 12 counts it faces in this indictment.
