The former head of Queens Defenders, Lori Zeno, along with her husband, Rashad Ruhani, is set to plead guilty in a federal theft case accusing the couple of funneling at least $300,000 from the nonprofit into lavish personal expenses. This plea follows a series of allegations that included spending on vacations to Bali, luxury resorts, high-end restaurants, and expensive shopping trips, Gothamist reports.
The Queens Daily Eagle has expanded the narrative – detailing that Zeno and Ruhani not only misappropriated funds for personal luxuries but have been slapped with additional charges, including obstruction of justice, concealment of evidence, and false statement charges, these charges are part of a larger superseding indictment that paints a more complex picture of fraudulent activities and involves a third suspect, media personality Kimberly Osorio, who is also negotiating a plea with federal prosecutors.
Queens Defenders, which had been a mainstay organization dedicated to providing legal assistance to low-income New Yorkers, faced a seismic shift in operations after Zeno's indictment; Brooklyn Defender Services has since taken over the duties formerly held by Queens Defenders, ensuring that representation continues for those in need. Zeno, who co-founded Queens Defenders and received a salary surpassing $430,000, was placed on leave by the board and banned from the organization's properties in early 2025, as stated by Gothamist.
The couple's spending sprees allegedly covered a broad range of personal delights, from a $10,000 honeymoon to a $3,300 85-inch smart TV; however, their legal entanglements did not conclude with their opulent acquisitions, Ruhani, after a prior life in prison found himself returning to custody, detained pending trial, while Zeno has been accused of continuing her deceptive practices post-indictment by attempting to return $7,000 worth of packaging supplies, as mentioned by the Queens Daily Eagle.
Zeno’s plea deal and the couple’s trial, scheduled for today, represent the next steps in the legal case involving them. Both developments follow allegations tied to their former roles within the justice system.
