9/11 victims fund recipient scammed by Queens man, say cops
Nassau County detectives Thursday charged a Queens man posing as a licensed investment adviser who they said scammed two victims — a woman with disabilities and an elderly woman — out of almost $170,000.
And, in a separate case, detectives are looking for a suspect who stole $50,000 from a Woodmere woman in an elder scam.
Police identified the suspect in the first case as Richard Yasnis, 42, of Jamaica, whom they charged with two counts of second-degree grand larceny. He faces arraignment Thursday in First District Court in Hempstead. It was not immediately clear if Yasnis is represented by counsel.
According to police, Yasnis identified himself as an investment adviser from the Cahill Financial Group in order to defraud a 53-year-old disabled woman out of approximately $79,000 she had received as an award from the 9/11 victims compensation fund.
Then, police said, Yasnis defrauded a 77-year-old woman out of about $88,000 she had received from her dead husband’s life insurance.
The incidents, dating to July 31 in Locust Valley, involve Yasnis convincing the victims their money would be invested in real estate and stocks, according to police.
When Yasnis received the money, police said he “refused to provide documentation and ceased all communication” with the victims.
In the second case, detectives said a 71-year-old victim was contacted by someone claiming to work for Amazon who told her she owed $6,000 on her account. The suspect told the victim her bank accounts were about to be closed as a result, and advised her to withdraw her savings before that happened.
Police said the woman then withdrew $50,000 from her accounts, and was contacted again by a suspect, who informed her someone would come to her home in Woodmere to collect her funds. The suspect said the money would be deposited into “a treasury box.”
A suspect driving a blue Honda arrived at the victim’s home Tuesday night and collected the money.
Police are advising residents to “be on alert” for potential fraud and scams and are asking anyone with information about these incidents or similar incidents to call 911 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
