A Massachusetts man has been indicted on charges he defrauded a 9/11 terrorist survivor and her widowed mother out of more than $140,000, Nassau County authorities announced Thursday.
Richard Yasnis, 43, is accused of posing as an investment broker to deceive victims who were seeking to invest funds they received from 9/11 victim compensation funds. according to Nassau County District Attorney Ann Donnelly: Yasnis allegedly convinced victims who had health problems at work to invest their fees in fake real estate renovation schemes and on the stock market by promising them large profits.
Prosecutors say ruthless conman stole $140,000 from 9/11 survivor and widowed mother https://t.co/ejM35hMUFj pic.twitter.com/XZWkikWZ44
— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) August 1, 2024
“Instead of securing these women's futures, Yasnis allegedly stole more than $140,000, taken in part from compensation paid to one of the 9/11 victims for working at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. We will not allow a con man to take advantage of the brave men and women who fell ill after their incredible service and sacrifice during those dark days,” District Attorney Donnelly said in a statement. (Related story: Authorities arrest man for allegedly trying to trick former congressman into transferring $900,000)
The fraud took place between May and June 2023. According to the press release, Yasnis learned the victim would receive compensation for a 9/11-related illness and allegedly convinced the victim to hand over $48,800 on July 31, 2023. The suspect continued the scheme by convincing the victim to invest. The victim provided Yasnis with $5,000 worth of jewelry and $88,000 in cash, which was paid from a life insurance policy on his 77-year-old widowed mother.
Stacks of US dollar bills are seen during an AFP interview with North Korean defector Park Sang-hak in Seoul on June 25, 2024. (Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)
When suspicions surfaced in September 2023, the family demanded receipts and the return of the money. Yasnis refused, leading to a police investigation that found him ineligible. Authorities determined that Yasnis was not a licensed investment broker, had no affiliation with Cahill Financial Group, and that Flexport was a privately held company, according to the press release.
Yasnis, of Natick, Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with grand larceny. He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face between seven and a half and 15 years in prison, the press release stated.
