Leonid Pollak, also known as “Lenny,” 59, of Greenwich, was sentenced on Wednesday by US District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for operating an investment fraud scheme.
The sentencing was announced by John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pollak owned a Norwalk-based company that organized trade shows and expositions throughout the U.S. In mid-2013, Pollak induced an acquaintance to invest money in a new business venture that was supposed to organize similar expositions in Ukraine. Instead of using the money to build the new business, Pollak spent at least $185,000 on unrelated business and personal expenses, including his home mortgage loan and private school tuition.
Judge Hall ordered Pollak to pay $236,049 in restitution to the victim.
Pollak was arrested on September 20, 2018. On March 18, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of making illegal monetary transactions.
Pollak, who is released on a $200,000 bond, is required to report to prison on December 9.
This matter was 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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher W. Schmeisser and Pilar Gonzalez.