Borough Park’s Jacob Ostreicher Returns To U.S. After 18 Months In Bolivian Prison

A Borough Park man who has been at the center of tensions between the United States and Bolivia for more than two years is finally back on American soil after a mysterious spiriting out of the South American nation.

Jacob Ostreicher, 55, is a flooring contractor who went to Bolivia in 2011 to oversee a rice farming operation. Authorities, though, accused him of laundering drug money. Without pressing any formal charges, Bolivian authorities jailed him in June 2011 in a notoriously violent prison, where he said he was assaulted and humiliated.

After 18 months in prison, he was confined to house arrest following advocacy on his behalf from actor Sean Penn.

It’s not yet clear how Ostreicher managed to escape from Bolivia, but he’s back in the area according to Assemblyman Dov Hikind. Hikind announced the news on Monday, according to the New York Times.

The paper reports:

Mr. Hikind did not have any details, but a person familiar with some aspects of the escape who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the delicate nature of the matter said, “There was an operation to get him out by professionals, people who know how to carry out these operations.” The person said Mr. Ostreicher was taken to a neighboring country, made his way to Los Angeles and then to the New York area.