Florida man indicted for stealing $93K from six victims while posing as lawyer

Fake attorney targets Russian Americans with scam

July 16, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announces the indictment of David Manasher for stealing $93,000 from six victims while posing as a lawyer. Photo: Jennifer Peltz/AP

Share this:

District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and Homeland Security Investigations New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo announced the indictment of a Florida man charged with stealing approximately $93,000 from six Russian-speaking victims in Brooklyn by posing as an attorney.

The defendant, David Manasher, 44, of Margate, Florida, was never registered to practice law.

“As alleged, this defendant deceitfully portrayed himself as a practicing attorney to exploit the trust of New Yorkers in need of legal services,” said DA Gonzalez. “Instead of helping them, the defendant allegedly took advantage of them and lined his own pockets at their expense. We will now seek to hold him accountable for his alleged criminal actions.”

The defendant, who also resided at times in New York and New Jersey, was arraigned before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Susan Quirk on a 20-count indictment.

Manasher was charged with second-, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny; first-degree immigrant assistant services fraud; second-degree forgery; first-degree offering a false instrument for filing; practicing law or appearing as attorney-at-law without being admitted and registered to practice; and first-degree scheme to defraud. Manasher was released without bail and ordered to return to court on August 21, 2024.

According to the investigation, between Dec. 1, 2020, and March 15, 2024, Manasher defrauded six individuals out of approximately $93,000 while posing as a lawyer specializing in landlord-tenant, immigration and contract law.

The stolen amounts ranged from $2,000 to $65,000. All six victims are Russian-speaking and either resided or worked in Brooklyn. They retained Manasher through various referrals, believing he was a licensed attorney. In one instance, Manasher allegedly forged a victim’s signature on both a court filing and a retainer agreement.

The investigation began after one of the victims reported Manasher to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Sergey Marts of the Investigations Division and Assistant District Attorney Andrew Kohler, special counsel to the Investigations Division, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michel Spanakos, deputy chief of Investigations, and Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, chief of Investigations.