Suffolk D.A.: Partner at Huntington law firm indicted for stealing clients’ funds
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney on Dec. 5 announced the indictment of Daphna Zekaria, 54, of Syosset, a partner at the Huntington law firm of Sokolski and Zekaria, P.C., for allegedly stealing money from two clients.
“The allegations against this defendant represent an egregious violation of the trust that the victims placed in her as an attorney and a fiduciary,” said District Attorney Tierney. “The duties and responsibilities of attorney-client relationships are a critically essential element of our legal system, and my office will not tolerate individuals using their law degrees as licenses to steal.”
According to the investigation, in December 2021, Zekaria was hired by a New York State Lottery winner and allegedly made promises to hold a portion of her client’s money in the firm’s escrow account and invest an additional portion on his behalf. Instead of holding the money or investing it, she did neither and made large transfers to other individuals which she would not have been able to make, had her client’s funds not been deposited into her account. Zekaria collected a total of $230,000 from the victim in three separate transactions.
In March 2023, Zekaria was retained by a Manhattan woman to assist her in contesting eviction proceedings. Zekaria took $17,500 from the victim to represent her but allegedly performed no legal work on her behalf. After the victim requested her money back, a mere 13 days after providing payment, the defendant had allegedly spent the victim’s money on LIPA payments, and credit card bills.
Zekaria is charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class C felony; Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D felony and Scheme to Defraud, a Class E felony. She is also charged with Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor for allegedly failing to comply with a grand jury subpoena for records related to her dealings with the victims.
On December 5, 2023, Zekaria was arrested by investigators of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office and arraigned on the indictment before County Court Judge, the Honorable Stephen L. Braslow who ordered Zekaria be released on her own recognizance and placed on supervised release. Her next court date is on December 13, 2023. She is being represented by the Legal Aid Society.
If you believe you are a victim of Zekaria, please call the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office at (631) 853-4626. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Katharine D’Aquila of the Public Corruption Bureau and was investigated by Assistant Special Investigator Brian Wood of the District Attorney’s Public Corruption Squad.
