Former IDF soldier vows to be "loyal Israeli" when he gets out of prison; gang filmed attacks against religious, drug addicts, foreign workers.
By JOANNA PARASZCZUKswastika 298.88(photo credit: Channel 1)
The Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday convicted a 24-year-old man of of conspiracy, racially motivated aggravated assault, incitement and racist advertising.Dmitri Bogotich was arrested in January following his extradition from Kyrgyzstan, where he had fled in 2007 after police arrested eight members of his Petah Tikva-based gang, “Patrol 36.” The group, which had a neo- Nazi ideology, carried out hate crimes against religious Jews, the homeless, drug addicts and foreign workers.RELATED:Leader of Petah Tikva neo-Nazi gang indicted Attorney Oded Keller, prosecuting, said Bogotich’s gang had targeted the weak and made “obsessive” video recordings of their violent attacks.Bogotich, who was a serving IDF soldier at the time of the attacks, apologized in court on Thursday for his role in the violence.
“I just want this story to end,” Bogotich said.“When I get out of prison, I will be a loyal Israeli, either in Israel or out of Israel.”Bogotich was convicted under a plea bargain and is expected to be sentenced next month to 69 months imprisonment.
