‘Lottery lawyer’ who stole $107 million from winners for yachts, private jets and luxury hotels gets 13 years in prison after funneling money to Genovese mobster’s Ponzi scheme
- Jason Kurland, 49, was convicted of wire fraud, honest services, wire fraud and money laundering last July
- Part of his deception was to funnel money into the Genovese mafioso Ponzi scheme
- His co-conspirator Christopher Chierchio, 54, was sentenced to five years in prison
A Long Island man dubbed the “lottery lawyer” who swindled $107 million winners to fund his lavish lifestyle of yachts, vacations and sports cars has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Jason “Jay” Kurland, 49, was convicted of wire fraud, honest services, wire fraud and money laundering last July. Prosecutors said Kurland used his position as a lawyer to push his clients to invest millions in companies he secretly owned and took illegal kickbacks based on those investments.
One of the shady deals Kurland took on was an investment vehicle that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme concocted 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 on Thursday as U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis passed sentence against him.
Chierchio, 54, was sentenced to five years in prison. Both were also sentenced to three years of supervised release, prosecutors said.
Kurland’s attorney, Telemachus Kasulis, told DailyMail.com “we disagree with the outcome and look forward to taking the case to the Second Circuit.”
Con artist Jason ‘Jay’ Kandula (pictured right) 49, walks into Brooklyn Federal Court with his lawyers on Thursday
Kurland is a married father of three children. His wife, Lauren Blyer Kurland, photographed with the couple’s three children in a 2015 photo
“They were lucky winners, but when they met Mr. Kurland, they became losers,” the judge said during sentencing.
Damian Williams, the US Attorney in Manhattan, said ‘these defendants who victimized the lottery winners, 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 had been misled about the investments by other defendants in the government’s case.
Kurland’s stately home is located in Dix Hill and is estimated to be worth $1.7 million
Kurland built a law firm focused on representing lottery winners. Prosecutors said Kurland’s clients collectively won an estimated $3 billion.
The scammer told his clients to invest in deals and entities controlled by Chierchio and two other co-defendants without disclosing that he received kickbacks from them, prosecutors said.
Just before trial, Christopher Chierchio pleaded guilty to aiding Kurland in this fraud while personally pocketing more than $25 million of the lottery winners’ money.
“The sentences handed down by Judge Garaufis show that these defendants who victimized the lottery winners are out of luck and that this agency will prosecute anyone who chooses to engage in fraud – regardless of their title or degree.” .’