The Queens Defenders saga just took another sharp turn. Rashad Ruhani, the romantic partner and former staffer of Queens Defenders founder Lori Zeno, pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday in a case that prosecutors say turned public-service money into a personal luxury fund. His plea is the latest chapter in a scandal that has already blown up the nonprofit’s city contract and scrambled how low-income New Yorkers get criminal defense in the borough.
According to the New York Daily News, Ruhani told a Brooklyn federal judge that he was changing his plea to guilty on charges tied to the alleged fraud scheme. Prosecutors have accused him and Zeno of running up Queens Defenders credit cards and using bogus invoices to bankroll vacations, high-end restaurant tabs, designer shopping sprees and rent on an Astoria penthouse.
Federal court papers charged Ruhani with wire fraud, theft, money laundering conspiracy, obstruction of justice and concealment of evidence, reporting by the Queens Daily Eagle shows. The outlet previously reported that he was expected to change his plea on April 16 after weeks of back-and-forth over pretrial motions.
Prosecutors Say Nonprofit Cash Paid For Luxury Perks
In a February press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York alleged that between June 2024 and January 2025, Ruhani and Zeno steered "hundreds of thousands" of Queens Defenders dollars into their own pockets. The office described a roughly $10,000 Bali vacation, thousands of dollars at luxury retailers, a $3,300 85-inch television and more than $39,000 in padded rent reimbursements for the Astoria apartment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The political and practical fallout came fast. City officials stripped Queens Defenders of its roughly $32 million indigent-defense contract and shifted the work to Brooklyn Defender Services, a move that left staff and thousands of clients scrambling to adjust. Coverage from amNewYork details how local advocates and former employees say the contract transfer and subsequent layoffs opened service gaps that Queens is still struggling to close.
What Happens Next In Court
With Ruhani’s guilty plea on the record, the case now shifts into the sentencing phase. Prosecutors and defense lawyers will hammer out loss calculations and proposed guideline ranges before the judge decides his punishment. Zeno, who pleaded guilty in February to a wire fraud conspiracy, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years, although federal guideline estimates reported by Law360 suggest a likely term closer to four to five years. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has said it will pursue restitution and other financial penalties on behalf of the nonprofit.
A third defendant, music-media personality Kimberly Osorio, is accused of hiding Ruhani’s cellphone from federal agents and has challenged how investigators gathered evidence, according to the Queens Daily Eagle. With Ruhani now folded into the list of guilty pleas, the courts are expected to set sentencing dates and restitution amounts as the high-profile Queens Defenders case moves toward its final act.
