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A Margate man who posed as an attorney is charged with stealing more than $92,000 from six Russian-speaking victims, authorities say.
David Manasher, 44, who records show owns a home in the 7700 block of Highlands Circle in Margate, was arraigned on a 20-count indictment in Brooklyn, New York, on Monday.
Charges include practicing law or appearing as an attorney without being admitted to practice, forgery, first-degree scheme to defraud, and multiple counts of grand larceny, according to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a federal law enforcement agency.
Court records show that the accused fraudster pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released without bail. A judge ordered him to return to court on Aug. 21, 2024.
Attorney information for Manasher was not listed in court records.
Manasher allegedly took advantage of his Russian-speaking victims in Brooklyn, including those who trusted him to legally seek immigration benefits on their behalf, authorities said.
“He allegedly exploited his customers and our nation’s immigration system for his own financial gain,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan Arvelo.
According to investigators, Manasher defrauded six people out of about $93,000 while posing as a lawyer specializing in landlord-tenant, immigration, and contract law.
Authorities said Manasher stole between $2,000 and $65,000 between Dec. 1, 2020, and March 15, 2024. In one case, he forged a victim’s signature on both a court filing and a retainer agreement, according to HSI.
HSI officials said the victims retained Manasher through various referrals, believing he was a licensed attorney. HSI did not specify who made those referrals.
One of the victims reported Manasher to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, which launched an investigation.
HSI’s investigation was conducted by its Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, while the Brooklyn DA’s Office probe was led by its investigations division. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services also worked on the case, authorities said.
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