‘Big Brother’ Alum Arrested on Armed Robbery Charges

Zvi Portal, a former contestant on the Israeli version of Big Brother, has been arrested on armed robbery charges, The Times of Israel reports. The reality TV alum is accused of robbing a post office located in Rishon Lezion at gunpoint, making off with thousands in shekels. Portal was on the fourth season of the show, which aired in 2012. 

He was arrested and taken in for questioning last Thursday. His remand was extended another four days on the following day. According to Middle East in 24, Portal was brought into court for a hearing on Tuesday to determine if police possibly had the wrong man. 

Portal denies having any involvement in the crimes. His attorney, Binyamin Ben Natan, argued that his client is a financially stable man who responsibly makes his alimony and child support payments through bank transfer –– meaning, Portal wouldn’t be able to make wire transfers if he was in possession of illegal money. “Whoever steals cash does not transfer through bank transfer,” he said, per the outlet.

“This is a 44-year-old guy, completely normative, absent from any criminal record, a father devoted to a minor, working in a tidy job in a respectable place, earning a decent living,” his counsel said, summing up the hearing. He argued that the evidence laid against his client was circumstantial and because such, Portal should be released from custody. 

The judge assigned to the case ruled that “there is a reasonable suspicion linking the suspect to the acts attributed to him,” adding that he will stay in detention under police custody for another three days.