Norwalk Businessman Enters Plea In Federal Investment Scam Case

NORWALK, CT — A 58-year-old Greenwich man, who ran an unnamed business in Norwalk, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to offenses related to an investment fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney John H. Durham.

Leonid Pollak, known as "Lenny," pleaded guilty in federal court in New Haven. He was indicted in the case last year.

According to court documents and prosecutors, Pollak owned an unnamed Norwalk-based company "that organized trade shows and expositions throughout the U.S.," and in mid-2013, he induced an acquaintance to invest money in a new business venture. That business was supposed to organize similar expositions in the Ukraine.

"Instead of using the money to build the new business, Pollak spent as much as $250,000 on unrelated business and personal expenses, including his home mortgage loan, groceries and clothing, automobiles, and private school tuition," according to Durham.

From Durham's announcement:

Pollak pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of illegal monetary transaction, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on June 10, 2019.

Pollak was arrested on September 20, 2018. He is released on a $200,000 bond pending sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service and Greenwich Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher W. Schmeisser and Pilar Gonzalez.

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