Posted on: July 30, 2026 07:30 AM

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Queens Defenders founder sentenced 43 months for stealing hundreds of thousands from the legal services provider

Lori Zeno, who founded Queens Defenders in 1996, is accused by prosecutors of diverting funds primarily generated through city, state and federal contracts that were supposed to be used to provide legal services to low-income New Yorkers to finance a luxurious lifestyle, including spending on foreign travel, meals, luxury shopping and rent for a penthouse apartment, alongside her former partner, Rashad Ruhani.

Zeno, 66, cried while reading a statement of remorse to U.S. District Judge Rachel Kovner, asking for a lenient sentence. She said that while she took responsibility for her actions, they were influenced by untreated addiction and alcoholism.