An Israeli billionaire known as the “King of Diamonds” is the bigwig businessman who got a police escort through the Lincoln Tunnel in a lane that was closed to other drivers, The Post has learned.
Lev Leviev, who is also chairman of the international real estate firm Africa Israel, is the unidentified US visitor who received the extraordinary favor that’s part of the feds’ case against two high-ranking cops, sources said Tuesday.
Details of the incident came from a cooperating witness who’s been identified by sources as Jona Rechnitz, a real estate developer who once worked for Africa Israel.
Rechnitz told the feds that the escort was arranged by his pal Jeremy Reichberg, “using his connections in local law enforcement agencies,” court papers say.
The complaint doesn’t say when the lane closure occurred.
Law enforcement sources said Reichberg’s request did not go through official channels and there was no documentation about the incident.
Reichberg was arrested Monday along with NYPD Deputy Chief Michael Harrington and Deputy Inspector James Grant. Another cop, Sgt. David Villaneuva, was busted separately, and the feds also revealed that a fourth cop — Officer Richard Ochetal — had secretly pleaded guilty and was cooperating with authorities.
The 59-year-old Leviev is a renowned investor in precious stones whose direct competitor is international diamond powerbroker The De Beers Group.
Born in Uzbekistan to a prominent Jewish family, Leviev moved to Israel when he was 15 and got his start as an apprentice at a diamond polishing business.
After a stint in the Israeli military, Leviev opened his first diamond company and soon expanded his business to the former Soviet Union and Europe.
He currently owns several diamond mines in Africa and Russia and operates pricey jewelry boutiques in New York, London, Dubai and Singapore.
A lawyer for one of Leviev’s daughters denied that Leviev had received the police escort.
“Lev does not know Jeremy Reichberg,” lawyer Charles Michael said.