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by Mike Caswell

Igor Palatnik, a New Jersey man who pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges arising from a scheme with Vancouver's Canafarma Hemp Products Corp., has asked a judge to sentence him to two years of military service in Israel. Mr. Palatnik, 49, says that he previously served with the Israeli Defence Force and that sending him there would be more productive than imposing a jail term. Should the judge decline, he requests a sentence of no more than 18 months.

The unusual request from Mr. Palatnik comes as part of a case in which New York prosecutors claimed that he and others misappropriated Canafarma's money. Prosecutors said that the men, who were Canafarma's founders, took the money through bogus consulting agreements while lying to investors about the company's prospects. The men realized $4-million through the scheme, prosecutors claimed. (All figures are in U.S. dollars.)

There was no trial for Mr. Palatnik, as he pleaded guilty on Oct. 10, 2023. The charges to which he pleaded guilty were conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors have yet to request a sentence, but federal sentencing guidelines suggest figures as high as 10 years in prison.

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