Daphna Zekaria, a Former Partner at the H Law Firm of Sokolski and Zekaria, P.C., Faces 2 to 6 Years in Prison

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on May 22 that Daphna Zekaria, 54, of Syosset, pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, and related charges, for stealing nearly $400,000 from her clients’ escrow accounts for personal and business expenses.

“The deliberate theft of nearly $400,000 from client escrow accounts represents a serious violation of professional duty and criminal law,” said District Attorney Tierney. “This guilty plea ensures this defendant will be held accountable to make her clients whole for this egregious abuse of trust.”

According to court documents and the defendant’s admission during her plea allocution, in August 2021, Zekaria, a partner at the Huntington law firm of Sokolski and Zekaria, P.C., was hired to represent a woman in her divorce and, later, for the sale of her marital home. Between December 29, 2021, and March 4, 2022, Zekaria received approximately $150,000, which were the proceeds of the sale of her client’s home. Zekaria was to hold the funds in her escrow account to be dispersed when the client’s divorce was finalized. Instead, Zekaria allegedly used the funds for personal and business expenses.

In December 2021, Zekaria was hired by a New York State Lottery winner, and 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, Zekaria did neither. She instead made large transfers of money to other individuals which she would not have been able to, 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.

Additionally, in March 2023, Zekaria was retained by an elderly Manhattan woman to assist her in contesting eviction proceedings. Zekaria took $17,500 from the victim to represent her but performed no legal work on her behalf. After the victim requested her money back 13 days after providing the payment, Zekaria had spent the victim’s money on LIPA payments and credit card bills.

On May 21, 2025, Zekaria pleaded guilty to the following charges before Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro:

 Two Counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a Class C felony;  Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a Class D felony;
 Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a Class E felony; and
 Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor.

Justice Ambro ordered Zekaria to pay a restitution of $373,500 by May 2026 or face 2 to 6 years in prison. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office recommended a sentence of 3 to 9 years in prison. Zekaria’s law license is presently suspended while the Attorney Grievance Committee of the First Judicial Department continues disbarment proceedings against her. She is being represented by the Legal Aid Society.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Katharine D’Aquila and Alexander D. Sylvan of the Public Corruption Bureau.