REGULATORY · USA
New York lawyer Nass charged with attempted extortion
Change
Joshua Nass was arrested and charged in Brooklyn federal court with attempted Hobbs Act extortion for allegedly threatening a former client and the client’s son over a claimed $500,000 debt.
Why it matters
Joshua Nass, 34, was arrested on Friday and charged in federal court in Brooklyn with attempted Hobbs Act extortion. Prosecutors allege he threatened a former client and the client’s son over a claimed $500,000 debt. Prosecutors allege Nass provided a third party with the client’s phone number and addresses and instructed the person to visit the client’s home and to “do anything and everything,” including “physically assaulting” the client. Nass had a role in the 14 November 2025 presidential pardon of Joseph Schwartz, who had been convicted in Arkansas related to failure to pay nearly $40m in employment and payroll taxes and was charged with Medicaid fraud.
Implications
- • Nass is subject to Hobbs Act prosecution and federal court procedures in Brooklyn.
- • The indictment centers on alleged use of a third party to intimidate a client, defining key factual matters for litigation.
- • Allegations reference a claimed $500,000 debt and alleged instructions to “physically assault,” narrowing the legal and evidentiary scope of charges.
Who is affected
- • Joshua Nass (attorney and lobbyist)
- • The former client and the client’s son
- • The unnamed third party alleged to have been instructed to intimidate the client
- • Federal prosecutors and Brooklyn federal court personnel
Source
Topics
World & Politics Corruption & Accountability Law & Public Safety Criminal Justice