A Long Island man dubbed the 'Lottery Lawyer' who conned winners out of $107 million to fund his lavish lifestyle of yachts, vacations and sports cars has been jailed for 13 years.
Jason 'Jay' Kurland, 49, was convicted last July of wire fraud, honest services wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors said Kurland used his position as a lawyer to steer his clients to invest millions in companies he secretly owned and took illegal kickbacks based on those investments.
Among the shady deals Kurland entered into was an investment vehicle that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme masterminded by Genovese crime family soldier Christopher Chierchio.
The married father-of-three, a former partner at law firm Rivkin Radler, appeared in federal court in Brooklyn when he was handed down the sentence by US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis on Thursday.
Chierchio, 54, was sentenced on Wednesday and hit with a five-year prison sentence. Kurland and Chiercho were also sentenced to three years of supervised release, prosecutors said.
Con lawyer Jason 'Jay' Kurland (pictured right) 49, is walking into Brooklyn Federal court with his attorneys on Thursday
Kurland's wife Lauren Blyer Kurland is pictured outside their Long Island home on Friday
Christopher Chierchio, 54, (pictured) was hit with a five-year prison sentence
Kurland's lawyer, Telemachus Kasulis told DailyMail.com 'we disagree with the outcome and look forward to bringing the matter before the Second Circuit.'
Before the sentencing, Kurland sobbed while reading a statement to the judge saying he was 'ashamed' and admitted that he did 'stupid' and 'misguided' things, The New York Post repoted.
'I failed so many, your honor … my clients, my family,' Kurland said before he asked the judge for leniency.
As a partner at the Long Island law firm, Kurland's specialty included representing lottery winners. His clients have won an estimated $3 billion combined, prosecutors said.
The lottery victims included a $1.5 billion Mega Millions winner, a $245 million Powerball winner and a $150 million jackpot winner, a report said.
After Kurland gained his clients trust, he scammed them by having them invest in deals and entities that were controlled by Chierchio and two other co-defendants - Frangesco Russo, 41, and Francis Smookler, 48 - without disclosing he received kickbacks from them, according to prosecutors.
Just before the trial, Christopher Chierchio pled guilty to assisting Kurland in this fraud while personally pocketing more than $25 million of the lottery winners' money.
The judge said Kurland's goal was to 'cash in on the success of his clients.'
'Mr. Kurland had direct access to the money and like a burglar, he used the access he had to pocket the money for himself and his business partners,' the judge said.
He said that it would be unfathomable in any profession, but called Kurland's actions 'grotesque and unfathomable for a lawyer.'
'They were lucky winners, but when they met Mr. Kurland, they ended up to be losers,' the judge said during the sentencing.
After the sentencing was handed down, Kurland's family, who were in the courtroom wailed in despair.
Kurland's wife Lauren outside the family home on Friday
Kurland's stately home is located in Dix Hill and worth an estimated $1.7 million
Kurland's home in Lond Island
Damian Williams, the US attorney in Manhattan, said 'these defendants who made the lottery winners their victims, their luck has run out.'
Chierchio, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, was ordered to forfeit $26.5 million and pay $30.5 million in restitution.
Kurland's forfeiture and restitution amounts will be determined within the next 90 days, prosecutors said.
He argued at trial that he was deceived by other defendants in the government's case about the investments.
Kurland, Smookler and Russo had lost $40 million in over a years time after the trio invested the lottery victims money in investment deals that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme.
In April 2020, they turned to Chierchio, who promised that he would get their money back with investments into personal protective equipment pandemic deals.
Prosecutors argued that barely any of the funds actually went toward PPE deals and instead, Chierchio, Kurland, Smookler and Russo, skimmed millions off the top.
It was also revealed that Kurland stole $19.5 million from one client's accounts to fund the Chierchio deal.
The defendants used the stolen money on two yachts, over-the-top vacations, trips on private jets and a Porsche, prosecutors said.
One of the lottery winners invested $5 million of his winnings into a business unaware that Kurland was the co-owner. He also convinced another client to purchase his business for $2 million not knowing it was owned by him.
The trio stole roughly $107 million from the innocent victims.
Russo and Smookler took guilty pleas in the case and both men are awaiting sentencing.
Kurland is due to surrender on October 18.
Nicholas Biase, Chief, Public Affairs, United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York told DailyMail.com said they did not release the names of the lottery victims.
'Pursuant to a Court order granted at the prosecution’s request, the victims of Jason Kurland and his co-conspirators were allowed to testify at trial under pseudonyms, in order to protect their anonymity.'
'In support of that Order, we accordingly request that news organizations follow that guidance in their reporting to protect the identities of victims who have been given the right to remain anonymous,' he said.
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