A retired New York City financier once known as the “right-hand man” of billionaire George Soros has been indicted on charges of abusing women.
According to the New York Post
, Howard Rubin, 70, allegedly used his Manhattan penthouse as a “secret sex dungeon” at the center of the case.
In a statement released Thursday, the Justice Department said Rubin and his assistant, Jennifer Powers, have been charged with trafficking and transporting women across state lines for sexual encounters with Rubin.A bank fraud charge was lodged against Rubin “in connection with misrepresentations made to a bank in the course of financing Powers’s mortgage for the Texas home of Powers and her husband,” according to the
“It is in this secret sex dungeon that Rubin, now 66, is accused of having committed violent acts and sexual assault against a number of women, including actual Playboy playmates. A civil trial, with six of his seven alleged victims seeking at least $18 million, is scheduled for November,” The Post reported.
Among other alleged acts of deprivation, The Post reported that Rubin has been accused of “beat[ing a woman’s] breasts so badly that her right implant flipped” — an injury so severe that, according to court documents, her “plastic surgeon was not even willing to operate on her breasts.”
Prosecutors allege Rubin paid women up to $5,000 for BDSM encounters. However, several women contend they never consented to the level of violence and humiliation they say he carried out during those sessions.
Another plaintiff claims that, while Rubin allegedly had her bound in his ‘dungeon,’ he told her “I’m going to rape you like I rape my daughter” and then, according to the complaint, forced sex on her against her will.
“Rubin has three children with his estranged wife, including at least one daughter,” The Post added.
“I thought he was a nice guy. He was a nebbishy Jewish guy and totally normal. I was surprised to hear about him having that apartment [with a sex dungeon],” a trader who worked with Rubin at Soros Fund Management, created by billionaire investor George Soros, told The Post.
“As alleged, the defendants used Rubin’s wealth to mislead and recruit women to engage in commercial sex acts, where Rubin then tortured women beyond their consent, causing lasting physical and/or psychological pain, and in some cases physical injuries,” Joseph Nocella Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said in the DOJ release.
“Today’s arrests show that no one who engages in sex trafficking, in this case in luxury hotels and a penthouse apartment that featured a so-called sex ‘dungeon,’ is above the law, and that they will be brought to justice. Human beings are not chattel to be exploited for sex and sadistically abused, and anyone who thinks otherwise can expect to find themselves in handcuffs and facing federal prosecution like these defendants,” he added.
“For many years, Howard Rubin and Jennifer Powers allegedly spent at least one million dollars to finance the commercial sexual torture of multiple women via a national trafficking network. The defendants allegedly exploited Rubin’s status to ensnare their prospective victims and forced them to endure unthinkable physical trauma before silencing any outcries with threats of legal recourse,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia.
“The FBI will continue to apprehend any trafficker who sexually abuses others for twisted gratification,” he added.
“This was not a one-man show. While Rubin dehumanized these women with abhorrent sexual acts, Powers is alleged to have run the day-to-day operations of the enterprise and got paid generously for her efforts,” said Harry T. Chavis, Jr., IRS investigative special agent in charge.
Eight-year-old Liam Parker dashed across the grocery store parking lot, backpack bouncing against his shoulders. He was late for school. Mrs. Grant had warned him the day before: one more tardy, and she would call his parents. Liam dreaded that call almost as much as the look on his father’s face.
Halfway across the lot, Liam froze. Sun beat down on a silver sedan. Inside, a baby sat strapped in a car seat. Its tiny fists flailed weakly, face red, cheeks streaked with tears. The glass was rolled up tight. Sweat glistened on the child’s forehead. The lot was nearly empty.
Liam’s stomach turned. Heat could kill faster than anyone imagined. He dropped his backpack, ran to the car, and yanked at every handle. Locked. He tapped on the glass. No one appeared.
His eyes landed on a jagged rock near the curb. Heavy and rough, but perfect. Liam lifted it, whispered, “I’m sorry, Mister Car,” and swung. The first strike cracked the glass. The second widened it. By the third, shards rained onto the pavement.
Careful, he reached inside, unbuckled the straps, and lifted the baby out. Clammy skin pressed to his shirt. He rocked the child instinctively. “It’s okay. You’re safe now,” he whispered.
A scream pierced the lot. “What are you doing to my car?!”
A woman ran toward him, groceries spilling, eyes wide with panic. Her gaze shifted to the baby in Liam’s arms. Her color drained. “Oh my God…” she gasped, dropping her groceries. She hugged the child, kissed the sweaty forehead, tears streaking her cheeks. “Thank you. Thank you,” she whispered.
The school bell rang. Liam’s heart sank. He bolted, leaving the shattered car behind.
He arrived in class minutes later, chest heaving, hair plastered with sweat, hands cut from glass. Mrs. Grant’s eyes narrowed. “Liam Parker, you’re late. Again.”
Liam froze. How could he explain? Who would believe he had smashed a stranger’s car window to save a baby?
“Sorry, Mrs. Grant,” he whispered.
“That’s it,” she snapped. “We’ll call your parents.”
The class giggled. Liam’s cheeks burned. He stared at his scraped hands, wondering if he’d made a mistake.
At recess, kids teased him or ignored him. Liam thought only of the baby’s flushed face. He would do it again, no matter the trouble.
That afternoon, just before dismissal, the classroom door opened. The woman from the parking lot entered, cradling her now-rested baby.
“This little boy saved my child’s life today,” she said, voice shaking. “I left him in the car thinking I’d be quick. Liam had already broken the window and pulled him out. If not for him…”
The room fell silent. Eyes swung to Liam. His face flushed again, but this time with pride.
Mrs. Grant knelt beside him, hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t just save a baby. You reminded us what real courage looks like.”
The class erupted in applause. Some shouted, “Hero!” The woman kissed Liam’s forehead. “You’ll always be part of our family’s story,” she whispered.
That evening, his parents got the call. Not about detention. Not about tardiness. About pride. They hugged him tight, telling him how proud they were.
Liam went to bed with a new understanding. Doing the right thing doesn’t always bring immediate praise. Sometimes it brings misunderstanding. But the truth always finds its way. And for Liam Parker, a boy who thought he was always late, he had been exactly on time when it mattered most.