Hoodline: Long Island Man Indicted on 25 Counts for Allegedly Def...

Bryce Winslow

October 1, 2025

In a development that is shaking up Brooklyn's legal landscape, a Long Island man has been hit with a 25-count indictment over allegations of defrauding New York's Empire State Development (ESD) agency. The Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, along with New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang, announced the charges, detailing how the accused reportedly made off with public funds by submitting altered tax returns among other documents to obtain state grant funds meant for pandemic relief.

The accused, Lasha Bukia of Riverhead, New York, was arraigned prior to Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun. He's facing heavy charges, including one count of second-degree larceny, 14 counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, nine counts of first-degree falsifying business records, and one count of first-degree scheme to defraud. According to the investigation, Bukia applied for ESD grants on behalf of nine people between November 2021 and October 2022, ultimately fetching $369,000 in state aid, of which he took an approximate $61,000 cut. This alleged exploitation involved inflating the incomes of Lyft and Uber drivers and home health aides on the grant applications without their consent, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office reported.

Bukia's alleged scheme took advantage of a program put in place during the pandemic to assist New York's small businesses in navigating the crisis. District Attorney Gonzalez didn't mince words, saying, "This defendant allegedly exploited hardworking Brooklyn residents, including drivers and home health aides, by misusing their personal information to inflate applications for pandemic relief." He elaborated on the betrayal by the defendant of those who placed their trust in him, and the detrimental effect on a program vital to recovery. These grants, which were part of an economic salvo intended for those with revenues below $2.5 million, were meant to enable businesses to manage expenses and keep workers employed through strenuous times, as per the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office.

Inspector General Lang emphasized the gravity of the misconduct, pointing out that, "This scheme was a calculated abuse of a critical lifeline created to support New Yorkers during a time of crisis." Her office, committed to safeguarding public resources, sees the defendant's actions as an exploitation of public trust and an attack on the vulnerable. The official release detailed how the defendant directed applicants to give him personal information, which he then modified for the grants. Bukia has since been released without bail and is scheduled to return to court on December 3, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office.

Assistant District Attorney Adam Libove is prosecuting the case with the oversight from Assistant District Attorney Laura Neubauer, who heads the Public Integrity Bureau, alongside Assistant District Attorney Michel Spanakos, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division, and Assistant District Attorney Patricia McNeill, Chief of the Investigations Division.