“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.”

“We allege Destiny Anderson and Anthony Johnson brazenly stole checks and credit cards from the mail for their own personal gain. This type of conduct can be extremely harmful to the many Manhattanites who depend on reliable mail service for their paychecks or other important financial documents,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Public employees who take advantage of their jobs at the expense of others will be held accountable. I thank the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their partnership in this investigation.” 

“Nelson Counne used an expertly crafted persona and elaborate web of lies to convince women to hand over their savings,” said District Attorney Bragg. “At least five women were conned into pouring money into his supposed investment opportunities – while unknowingly helping him to repay previous victims and lure in new ones. While the scale of this fraud is remarkable, romance scams are all too common. We urge you to call us at 212-335-8900 if you or someone you know has been a victim.” 

“This alleged scheme preyed on unsuspecting New Yorkers who were just walking outside going about their daily lives. We are continuing to investigate the full extent and scope of this ring in coordination with our law enforcement partners, and I encourage anyone who may have been a victim to please contact our office at 212-335-9040,” said District Attorney Bragg.

“Donald Trump is guilty of repeatedly and fraudulently falsifying business records in a scheme to conceal damaging information from American voters during the 2016 presidential election. Over the course of the past several weeks, a jury of 12 every day New Yorkers was presented with overwhelming evidence – including invoices, checks, bank statements, audio recordings, phone logs, text messages, and direct testimony from 22 witnesses – that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Trump illegally falsified 34 New York business records,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg.