Marat Lerner, former president of a Brooklyn-based debt relief services business, was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for defrauding clients in desperate need of financial assistance, the Justice Department announced yesterday. As per court documents, Lerner, who ran the Lerner Group, promised to aid homeowners, mainly within the Eastern European immigrant community in Brooklyn, in reducing their mortgage payments. Instead, he defrauded them of approximately $2.5 million.
United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis handed down the sentence of 135 months after Lerner pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in February 2024. Lerner was also convicted of continuing to boldly commit crimes even while on pre-trial release. The court has ordered him to forfeit around $2,340,154, with restitution to his victims to be determined at a later date. This comes as a response to Lerner's conduct, which involved diverting funds intended for mortgage payments to his own use, including the purchase of a luxury car and extravagant personal expenses.
"His victims were hard-working people, many from the Eastern European community, who went to him for help saving their homes and livelihoods. Instead of helping them, Lerner took advantage of their trust and vulnerability to steal their money," stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. According to a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, Lerner's fraudulent activities led directly to numerous clients losing their homes or being forced to declare bankruptcy.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy emphasized the betrayal of trust, noting that Lerner remorselessly continued to defraud his clients even after his initial arrest. Lerner's scheme involved gaining access to victims' bank accounts under the guise of using them to make mortgage payments, then transferring the funds to companies or accounts he controlled. Lerner's actions were not only deceitful, they caused blatant financial destruction among those he vowed to aid.
The prosecution was handled by the Business and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick M. Axelrod and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Genny Ngai leading the case. IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. denounced Lerner's glamorous lifestyle built on the backs of community members, reinforcing the message that such predatory behavior will lead to prosecution and prison time.
