Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. today announced the indictment of MANASHE SEZANAYEV, 41, for defrauding two diamond merchants by covertly swapping their diamonds for lab grown stones – worth substantially less than natural stones – that were cut to resemble the diamonds that the merchants had been offering for sale.  SEZANAYEV is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Third Degree. [1]

“Diamonds are forever, but this alleged scheme was short-lived. As alleged, Manashe Sezanayev took advantage of diamond merchants by stealing their diamonds and replacing them with fake stones,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Merchants are expected to conduct business in a fair and honest manner. Those who take advantage of consumers will be held accountable.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, in early 2024, SEZANAYEV operated his company, Rachel’s Diamonds, in the Diamond District in Manhattan.

On February 5, 2024, a diamond merchant visited SEZANAYEV at his office with two diamonds that SEZANAYEV claimed to be interested in buying, valued at approximately $185,000 and $75,000. SEZANAYEV allegedly inspected the two stones and turned his back to the merchant to weigh them on his scale. He swapped the diamonds for lab grown stones that had been recut to imitate the natural stones and inscribed with forged Gemological Institute of America (“GIA”) laser inscriptions.

On March 27, 2024, SEZANAYEV told a second diamond merchant that he had a customer interested in buying that merchant’s diamond, valued at approximately $200,000. That same day, SEZANAYEV purchased a lab grown stone that was later recut to resemble that natural diamond and inscribed with a forged GIA laser inscription to mimic that natural diamond. 

On April 2, 2024, the second merchant met with SEZANAYEV and the purported customer, and SEZANAYEV examined the merchant’s diamond.  That merchant later learned that the stone SEZANAYEV returned to him was a lab grown diamond that was cut to resemble his stone.

Assistant D.A. Ben Rose (Financial Frauds Bureau) is handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Kofi Sansculotte (Bureau Chief of the Financial Frauds Bureau) and Jodie Kane (Chief of the Investigation Division).

D.A. Bragg thanked the NYPD, particularly Detective Joseph Metsopulos of the Major Case Squad. He also thanked GIA for their work in this investigation.

Defendant Information:

MANASHE SEZANAYEV

Forest Hills, Queens

Charged:

• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, two counts
• Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class E felony, one count
• Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, three counts

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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.