New York Attorney Faces Grand Larceny and Fraud Charges
By Christine Cristiano
New Yorker attorney, Kevin Cohen has been accused of grand larceny and fraud charges regarding his involvement with 16 couples who allege that they paid thousands of dollars to Cohen in a Ponzi-style adoption scam.
Cohen, 41, is founder of the Adoption Annex, a now defunct non-profit adoption organization. According to an ABC news report, Cohen misled his clients into believing he was an expert in adoption proceedings. According to court documents, Cohen allegedly collected between $20,000 and $40,000 from couples who were trying to adopt children through his organization. The couples believed that the money was to be put towards paying the medical expenses of the pregnant women who had agreed to give up their babies for adoption. Cohen had been working with couples from New York and Texas, however, other couples from Georgia and Cleveland have come forward with allegations against Cohen also.
According to a statement made by Nassau County District Attorney, Kathleen Rice, ''this is among the most morally disgusting thefts I have ever witnessed as a prosecutor. He preyed on the emotions and the hopes of couples at their most vulnerable time.'' The district attorney's office reported that the babies never existed.
Last month, Cohen pleaded not guilty to the charges of grand larceny and fraud, and is being held on $500,000 bail. Matin Emouna, Cohen's attorney, wouldn't discuss the allegations against Cohen pending the completion of district attorney's investigation.
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