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Now she’s the defendant!
The just lately ousted founding father of the Queens Defenders authorized help group stole not less than $60,000 from her personal group and — together with a lover who additionally labored there — used it to pay for a dear penthouse, $2,000 restaurant meals and even a dream getaway to Bali, a bombshell indictment claims.
Group founder Lori Zeno and fellow Defender Rashad Ruhani illegally claimed tens of 1000’s in private spending as enterprise bills and abused the corporate bank card, the probe by the FBI and town Division of Investigation discovered.
The lovebirds “corruptly diverted tens of 1000’s of {dollars} from the Group to personally enrich themselves and others,” in response to the Brooklyn federal courtroom indictment, which alleges wire fraud, theft and cash laundering conspiracy.
Ruhani was cuffed by authorities after touchdown at JFK Tuesday night time, however Zeno — who was was suspended from the authorized group in January — remains to be at massive.
“We’re deeply saddened by the character of those allegations in opposition to two former workers,” stated Doneath Powell, Chair of the Board of Administrators. “The alleged actions don’t replicate who we’re as a company or the values we uphold. It is a troublesome second, however we’re dedicated to transparency, accountability, and transferring ahead with energy and integrity.”
The fraudulent scheme allegedly started final summer season, across the similar time Zeno gave Ruhani a promotion to handle the group’s youth program, officers stated.
Zeno leased a $6,000-a-month penthouse condo at about that point, and lived there with Ruhani, the doc reads, one thing by no means disclosed to the group.
Ruhani bilked the Queens Defenders to pay $39,000 of their hire by claiming “that the Penthouse condo was getting used for ‘shopper protection’ and ‘foster mum or dad Care,’” the indictment stated.
He even despatched a doctored picture of the lease with the reimbursement request “that had been altered to take away Zeno from the listing of occupants,” and additional expensed three months of utility payments — a staggering $12,500 — and a further $16,312 for hire and over $2,000 for penthouse parking, the fed allege.
With the Defenders’ company bank card, the profligate duo allegedly racked up large payments.
One of many couple’s first fraudulent bills in July 2024 was $600 to pay for enamel whitening, the indictment states.
Holidays charged to the cardboard included a $10,000 journey to Bali, and over $1,700 in bills at a Santa Monica resort, prosecutors declare.
Expensive date night time dinners — together with a blow-out $2,600 feast at a “high-end steakhouse” final November — was additionally paid with the cardboard, for a complete of practically $4,000. The pair additionally spent $10,900 on luxurious purchasing, the feds say.
Over $3,300 of their purchasing invoice went in the direction of “an 85-inch good tv and associated equipment to be shipped to and put in on the Penthouse Condo,” prosecutors declare.
Federal officers and the DOI declined to remark. A message despatched to an lawyer for Ruhani was not answered by publication.
Zeno couldn’t be reached for remark, however in March, she advised the Queens Eagle that she had lengthy dreamed of retiring to Bali when requested about the way forward for her group after her ouster.
“We’ll see what occurs now to Queens Defenders that I’m not there,” she advised the native paper, who first coated the Defender’s drama. “Hopefully, I’ll be in Bali, residing a really peaceable life, and I received’t even must find out about it.”
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