Garden City lawyer sentenced to up to 12 years for $6M real estate embezzlement
MINEOLA, NY — A Garden City attorney who stole more than $6 million from dozens of victims in real estate transactions was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to a sweeping fraud scheme that spanned over three years.
Daniel Boldi, 50, admitted in October to 13 counts of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and one count of Scheme to Defraud. Prosecutors said the thefts occurred between September 2020 and January 2024, involving more than 50 property deals where Boldi siphoned escrow funds for personal use.
Investigators found that Boldi stole a total of $6,206,368 from 52 victims, including homeowners, real estate agents, and lenders. Roughly $4.7 million came directly from clients involved in real estate closings.
In one case, he tricked a couple selling their home by falsely claiming their loan funds were unavailable. He produced fraudulent paperwork that allowed the deed to transfer without the mortgage being paid off, a maneuver known as a “dry closing.”
Boldi also defrauded a private lender of $1.15 million by submitting falsified mortgage and title documents. Court filings revealed he used the stolen money on personal expenses, Venmo payments, and property investments unrelated to the transactions.
Civil judgments totaling more than $6.2 million were issued to compensate the victims. The prosecution was led by Senior Investigative Counsel Jennifer Contreras of the Major Financial Frauds Bureau.
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Key Points
- Attorney Daniel Boldi sentenced to 4–12 years for embezzling $6.2 million in real estate scams
- Boldi stole from 52 victims, including homeowners, agents, and lenders, between 2020 and 2024
- Funds were misused on personal expenses, digital payments, and property investments