Zion Rokah: Wanted for Fraud

For nearly two decades, a network of Israeli nationals accused of running one of the most extensive moving scams in US history have lived freely in Israel, evading American justice. These men—wanted for wire fraud, extortion, conspiracy, and mail fraud—continue to enjoy open lives, even as their victims in the United States remain uncompensated.

The crimes, described as “despicable” by the FBI, were first uncovered during a multi-agency sting operation dubbed Operation Stow Biz. The investigation exposed a racket of moving companies that tricked customers into paying exorbitant fees by holding their possessions hostage. While dozens of individuals were successfully prosecuted, over a dozen key suspects fled to Israel, exploiting the lack of an effective extradition process between the two countries.

The Rise of the “Moving Mafia”

In the early 2000s, moving scams on America’s East Coast became rampant. Israeli-run companies—posing as legitimate moving firms—offered low quotes to customers relocating homes. Once customers’ belongings were loaded onto trucks, the movers would sharply inflate prices, often doubling or tripling original estimates.

Victims were told that unless they paid the inflated balance, they would never see their possessions again. Those who resisted were subjected to harassment, threats, and blackmail. Hundreds of complaints poured into consumer protection agencies.

In 2003, Operation Stow Biz, led by the FBI and the US Department of Transportation Inspector General, culminated in 74 indictments—most of them against Israeli nationals tied to 16 companies. The operation’s findings revealed that these firms collaborated, rotating ownership and personnel to avoid detection.

FBI Condemnation and Public Outrage

FBI Special Agent Hector Pesquera, then head of the Bureau’s Miami office, publicly condemned the crimes:

“Victims trusted their cherished belongings to these moving companies, only to find them held hostage. Countless memories and heirlooms have been damaged or destroyed—things that can never be replaced.”

The scam, he said, was “despicable.”

Many victims, like Florida resident James Balderrama, recalled being threatened directly by the scammers. “You’re going to pay for this, or you won’t get your stuff,” he was told after his original $3,600 quote ballooned by another $5,000.

The Key Figures: Elbaz and Makias

Among the central figures were Simo Elbaz and Moshe Makias (also known as Moshe Elmakias)—two Israeli businessmen accused of orchestrating and enforcing the extortion racket.

Elbaz owned a trio of companies—AAA Van Lines, Ameri Van Lines, and SI Trucking—while Makias, his foreman, handled the confrontations with customers. Together, they perfected the scam: offering lowball quotes, inflating fees mid-move, and holding goods hostage.

Customers were blindsided. Contracts were either incomplete or deliberately vague, leaving them legally trapped. When victims refused to pay, Elbaz and Makias stored their goods in secret warehouses and threatened to auction them off.

From Arrest to Flight

In February 2003, Makias was arrested as part of the Stow Biz sting. Released on bail and fitted with an ankle monitor, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and extortion charges later that year. But before sentencing, he cut off his monitor, vanished, and fled to Israel.

Eighteen years later, Makias remains a wanted fugitive. His name and photograph are still listed on the US Department of Transportation’s “Most Wanted” list.

Meanwhile, Elbaz followed a different path. Indicted on 23 counts—including conspiracy to commit money laundering—he too failed to appear in court. He was declared a fugitive in 2003. Yet, instead of fleeing abroad, Elbaz stayed in the United States, quietly resuming life in Florida.

Living Openly, Untouched

Today, Moshe Makias lives comfortably along Israel’s Mediterranean coast, dividing his time between Netanya and Herzliya. Through his company—an event production firm specializing in fireworks and laser shows—he has secured lucrative contracts with Israeli corporations, including banks, universities, and even the Ministry of Defense.

His clients have included major international acts such as Paul McCartney, David Guetta, and The Pet Shop Boys.

Online business directories list Makias’s additional services as “chemicals,” “explosive materials,” and “ammunition”—a striking irony for a man wanted by the US government for crimes involving extortion and deceit.

Despite his fugitive status, Makias maintains a professional online presence. His LinkedIn profile proudly notes continuous business operations since 2004—the very year he disappeared from US authorities.

The Broader Network of Fugitives

Makias is far from alone. More than a dozen men indicted in Operation Stow Biz now live openly in Israel. Among them are Choni Aloul, Oren Avitan, Tamir Cohen, Edan Elbaz, Amit Ezyoni, Noam Israeli, Eyal Malul, Sivan Maoz, Elazar Nisanov, Ido Or, Eli Peretz, Zion Rokah, and Eyal Zeira.

Their crimes followed the same pattern: fraudulent moving contracts, ransom demands, and destruction of property. Most fled before their trials began.

Astonishingly, many of these fugitives have retained their real names and public identities. Several maintain Facebook profiles showing recent family photos, vacations, and business promotions.

The Elbaz Mystery: A Fugitive Who Never Fled

Perhaps the most audacious case is that of Simo Elbaz himself. Unlike his co-conspirators, Elbaz never left the United States.

Elbaz was indicted in 2003, just days after marrying Naomi Ann Zimmerman, a Miami-area attorney. Despite his indictment and subsequent disappearance from court, he continues to live in the very district where he was declared a fugitive.

Court records show that after Elbaz failed to appear at his hearing, his wife claimed he had “abandoned” her. Because she had co-signed his $100,000 bond, the court seized her assets, forcing her to sell property to pay the amount in full.

Yet years later, Zimmerman—now going by Naomi Zimmerman Elbaz—continues to share a home with him in Florida. Their family photos appear on social media, and they are listed together in synagogue newsletters.

Accusations of Antisemitism

At the time of his indictment, another defendant, Zion Rokah, accused US authorities of prejudice, claiming the case was motivated by antisemitism. “They’re only targeting us because we’re Israelis,” he told reporters before fleeing the country.

But prosecutors rejected the claim. Marcos Daniel Jiménez, then US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, emphasized that the charges stemmed from clear evidence of organized fraud:

“These defendants struck at one of our quintessential freedoms—the freedom to move about the country. They used victims’ own property to extort money.”

The Shadow of Urban Moving Systems

The FBI’s discovery of the scam traces indirectly back to September 11, 2001. That day, five Israeli nationals working for Urban Moving Systems—an Israeli-owned moving company in New Jersey—were arrested after being observed filming the burning World Trade Center.

Though initially suspected of espionage, the FBI later determined the men had no foreknowledge of the attacks. However, further investigation revealed that Urban Moving Systems, owned by Dominik Suter and Ornit Levinson-Suter, engaged in widespread fraud similar to the Stow Biz cases.

Suter and his wife fled to Israel shortly after 9/11. Though never charged with terrorism, their business became a blueprint for the later wave of extortionary moving companies operated by other Israeli nationals.

“Operation Stow Biz” Fallout

Using intelligence gathered from the Urban Moving Systems probe, the FBI launched Operation Stow Biz in 2003. Undercover agents infiltrated fraudulent moving companies, recording conversations, contracts, and ransom demands.

The indictments that followed represented one of the largest consumer fraud cases in US history. Yet, as the years passed, legal outcomes were uneven. Some perpetrators were convicted; others disappeared before trial.

A Decade Later: The Scam Continues

Even after Operation Stow Biz, the same scheme persisted under new company names and ownership structures. By the mid-2010s, online forums were once again flooded with complaints from American families defrauded by moving companies with familiar Israeli connections.

In many cases, the fraudulent operators used relatives’ names or newly registered corporations but operated with the same methods—lowball estimates, hidden fees, and threats of non-delivery.

The Visa Waiver Controversy

The ongoing presence of these fugitives in Israel has added strain to US-Israel diplomatic relations, especially amid discussions of Israel’s entry into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

To qualify, countries must maintain reciprocity in law enforcement cooperation and limit visa denials to under 3% of US citizens. Critics argue that Israel’s failure to extradite fugitives like Makias undermines the spirit of such agreements.

As of 2020, Israel denied entry to 6.7% of US travelers—more than double the threshold—citing “security concerns.”

While the Israeli government continues to lobby for VWP inclusion, US officials have quietly voiced frustration over the country’s unwillingness to prosecute or extradite its citizens accused of defrauding Americans.

Eighteen Years Later: Justice Denied

Nearly two decades have passed since Operation Stow Biz, but victims like James Balderrama have never seen restitution. Their stolen property and shattered trust remain reminders of a system that failed to protect them.

Meanwhile, fugitives like Moshe Makias have reinvented themselves as respected businessmen in Israel, publicly conducting business while remaining on America’s wanted list.

The Department of Transportation continues to host their names and photographs on its website—digital relics of a case that time and international borders have buried.

“Countless Americans lost their savings, their belongings, and their faith in fairness,” one retired FBI agent involved in the case remarked. “The fact that these men live freely today is an insult to justice.”

Conclusion

The story of the Israeli “moving mafia” exposes a troubling gap in international law enforcement. Despite clear evidence and long-standing indictments, fugitives charged with systematic fraud and extortion have evaded accountability for nearly twenty years.

From Herzliya’s luxury offices to Miami’s suburbs, the perpetrators of Operation Stow Biz continue to thrive, their crimes unpunished and their victims forgotten.

Until the US and Israel find a way to bridge this legal divide, the ghosts of Operation Stow Biz—and the people it robbed—will remain symbols of injustice carried across oceans.

Written by

Nancy Drew

Updated

25 seconds ago