Now she’s the defendant!
The 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 an expensive 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 thousands of dollars from the Organization to personally enrich themselves and others,” based on 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 giant.
“We are deeply saddened by the nature of these allegations against two former employees,” stated Doneath Powell, Chair of the Board of Administrators. “The alleged actions do not reflect who we are as an organization or the values we uphold. This is a difficult moment, but we are committed to transparency, accountability, and moving forward with strength and integrity.”
The fraudulent scheme allegedly started final summer time, across the identical time Zeno gave Ruhani a promotion to handle the group’s youth program, officers stated.
Zeno leased a $6,000-a-month penthouse condominium 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 lease by claiming “that the Penthouse apartment was being used for ‘client defense’ and ‘foster parent Care,’” the indictment stated.
He even despatched a doctored picture of the lease with the reimbursement request “that had been altered to remove Zeno from the list of occupants,” and additional expensed three months of utility payments — a staggering $12,500 — and a further $16,312 for lease 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 tooth 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 almost $4,000. The pair additionally spent $10,900 on luxurious procuring, the feds say.
Over $3,300 of their procuring invoice went in the direction of “an 85-inch smart television and related accessories to be shipped to and installed at the Penthouse Apartment,” prosecutors declare.
Federal officers and the DOI declined to remark. A message despatched to an legal professional 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 happens 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, living a very peaceful life, and I won’t even need to know about it.”
