Greenwich Man Indicted In Investment Fraud Scheme: U.S. Attorney

GREENWICH, CT — A 58-year-old Greenwich man was indicted on federal charges last week in connection with an alleged investment fraud scheme that bilked an investor out of nearly $300,000, according to United States Attorney John H. Durham.

Leonid Pollak, also known as "Lenny," 58, was indicted in federal court in New Haven on Sept. 12, but was arrested Thursday and is in custody.

According to prosecutors and the allegations in the indictment, Pollak owned an unnamed Norwalk-based company that organized trade shows and expositions throughout the U.S. In mid-2013, Pollak "induced an acquaintance to invest $290,000 in a new business venture that was supposed to organize similar expositions in the Ukraine."

Instead of using the money to build the new business, however, authorities say that Pollak "spent nearly all of it on unrelated business and personal expenses, including Pollak’s home mortgage loan, groceries and clothing, automobiles, and private school tuition."

Pollak was charged with six counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum prison term of 20 years on each count, and two counts of illegal monetary transactions, which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years on each count.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and U.S. Secret Service, with assistance from the Greenwich Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi M. Perry.

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