Joshua Nass, a New York-licensed attorney, was charged with attempted Hobbs Act extortion after allegedly hiring an individual to threaten a former client and the client’s son for $500,000, according to a complaint unsealed at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Mar. 14. Nass was arrested and is scheduled to make his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky.
The case was announced by Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Field Office. The charge alleges that beginning in January 2026, Nass recruited someone to force payment from his former client (referred to as John Doe 1) and John Doe 1’s son (John Doe 2), claiming he was owed money for legal services.
“As alleged, Nass plotted the violent extortion of one of his own clients and hired an individual to ‘do anything and everything’ to force the client’s son to pay for services,” said United States Attorney Nocella. “It will always be a priority of our Office to hold accountable those abusing a position of trust by violating the laws and oaths they have been sworn to support.”
According to court filings, Nass provided contact information for John Doe 2 and instructed the recruited individual to visit him at home as an intimidation tactic. He paid this person $3,000 in cash initially and discussed further payments totaling at least $15,000 if successful. Discussions included possible physical assault or forcibly taking John Doe 2 into a car with masked men while threatening him or his family members.
“Rather than honestly representing his client, Joshua Nass allegedly chose to shake him down by hiring an enforcer to extort payment. The FBI prioritizes crushing violent crimes offenses and extortion schemes,” said Barnacle.
If convicted, Nass faces up to 20 years in prison. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Victor Zapana, Anna L. Karamigios, and Kamil R. Ammari from the Organized Crime and Gangs Section.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York supports community outreach and victim assistance efforts according to its official website. The office maintains locations in Brooklyn and Central Islip per its official website and handles both federal crime prosecutions and civil matters representation for the district according to its official website. Breon Peace currently leads the office as United States Attorney as noted on its official website. The jurisdiction covers Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau County, and Suffolk County as indicated on its official website, operating as the designated federal prosecutor’s office for these areas according to its official website.
