The disgrace founder of Defendor Queens And his formerly incarcerated boyfriend was charged on Wednesday to have stolen the non -profit organization with indigent defense for some $ 60,000 in personal expenses, including a $ 6,000 penthouse apartment per month, holidays Bali And southern California, fantasy restaurants and luxury products, according to an indictment issued by the Federal Court of Brooklyn.
As part of the program, which lasted half of 2024, Lori Zeno, 64, and Rashad Ruhani, 55, used the group’s credit cards to spend $ 10,000 for Bali’s trip, enjoy a $ 2,600 steak dinner, buy an 85 -inch television for $ 3,300, go on $ 5,200 of the victory and have teeth for $ 600, among other expressions, The case of victory, and to teety for $ 600, among other experts.
Ruhani was arrested Tuesday evening in JFK airport After arriving on a flight from California. He was arrested and ordered held by judge magistrate Vera Scanlon. Ruhani’s lawyer James Lenihan could not be joined immediately to comment.
Zeno was not in detention and had to be brought to justice on a later date. She was ousted As the group’s executive director – who represents the indigent defendants – in January. Nor could she be reached.
The Queens BLVD. Build housing in the offices of the defenders of Queens. (Google)
According to the indictment, Zeno, executive director of the group since 2018, and Ruhani, who was released after 26 years in state prison in 2022 for a conviction for theft, began a romance shortly after the hiring of Ruhani as “customer defender” in October 2023.
Zeno quickly promoted Ruhani to supervise the programs for young people from Queens Defenders in June 2024. From there, the couple began to use the organization’s credit cards to illegally pay a range of personal expenses, which also included the rent for the apartment of the pendhouse of $ 6,000 per month in Queens.
The couple then lied several times to the organization, claiming that the expenses were intended for legitimate commercial purposes, to obtain the reimbursement, according to the indictment.
Between August 2024 and October 2024, Ruhani submitted $ 39,000 in fraudulent spending reports for the cost of the Penthouse apartment, which, according to him, was used for “customers” and “care for nourishing parents”.
Queens Defenders received about $ 368,000 in federal funds via the city Housing Preservation and Development Department. The couple is accused of theft of federal funds and wire fraud.
The investigation was carried out by the FBI and the City investigation department. A spokesperson DOI refused to comment.
The defenders of Queens refused to comment on the accusations. Earlier this year, the city reassured the group contracts Brooklyn defendersA separate non -profit organization that represents bad defendants in this district.
Daniel Ball, spokesperson for Brooklyn Defenders, said the transition would be official on July 1.
“On that date,” said Ball, “criminal defense lawyers, social workers, parajusters and other staff members (Queens’ defenders) will be part of our organization and will continue to serve their customers and the Queens community.”
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