Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez on Monday said a licensed Brooklyn financial advisor was charged with stealing close to $1.24 million from 10 people to whom he issued promissory notes with high rates of return.
Between November 2015 and March 2025, the defendant, Marat Likhtenstein, 64, of Sheepshead Bay, operated a fraudulent scheme using promissory notes to induce individuals to invest in purported business opportunities. He allegedly claimed he could not discuss the details of the business opportunities with the investors but promised to pay them 20% interest, according to a press release.
Instead of investing the funds in business opportunities, the defendant allegedly used the money for personal expenses and to make partial payments to earlier victims of the Ponzi scheme, the DA's office said.
Likhtenstein was charged with eight counts of second-degree grand larceny, two counts of third-degree grand larceny, two counts of first-degree scheme to defraud and 10 counts of violating General Business Law Section 352-C (6).
“This defendant allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars by persuading unsuspecting individuals to invest with false promises of high returns," Gonzalez said. "Investors should be mindful that guaranteed high returns—especially without clear business details—are often a red flag."
At the time of the alleged scheme the defendant was a FINRA-licensed financial advisor and a New York State licensed insurance agent registered to sell securities and insurance products through Likhtenstein Financial Planning Inc. His office was located on Avenue V in Sheepshead Bay. The investigation began following a complaint to the District Attorney’s Action Center.
People who believe they have been victimized by this defendant are encouraged to contact the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Action Center at 718-250-2340 or to send an email to LikhtensteinComplaints@
The defendant was released without bail and ordered to return to court on May 21, 2025.
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