Bryan McKenna, a former real estate attorney from New York City, admitted to misappropriating $4.4 million that was meant for pandemic care. He reportedly used the embezzled money to fund his romance with his girlfriend Duni Zenaye, a former CEO of a business consulting firm. However, his defense attorney Eric Fraz said McKenna desperately needed the money to fund his son’s treatment, the New York Post reported.
McKenna’s fraud came to light during an investigation that revealed he had also stolen more than $260,000 from two clients in real estate deals.
The district attorney’s office said McKenna was convicted in July last year. According to the indictment against him, he stole more than $4 million from a company he had been working for. He withdrew money from an escrow account he managed for that company.
JUST IN: NYC lawyer who stole $4.4 million in COVID relief funds sobs in court as he is sentenced
Disgraced real estate attorney Bryan McKenna was sentenced to two to six years in prison for siphoning $4.45 million meant for PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic
Prosecutors say he… pic.twitter.com/vJo6GmeEpN
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) March 24, 2026
Bryan McKenna, 62, broke down in tears as he admitted to the theft. “I’m just ashamed of myself. I tried to lead a good life,” he tearfully said. “I did these crimes; I deserve to go to jail. I don’t know what else to say for myself.”
It is unclear whether his girlfriend, Zenaye, was involved in the fraud, and she currently faces no charges. Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Borle alleged that McKenna emptied the account and used the millions to spend on himself and his girlfriend. However, McKenna’s lawyer, Eric Fraz, refuted the claim and said he only took the money to help his son. He urged the judge to consider the matter from a father’s perspective.
Defending his client, Eric Fraz told Judge Althea Drysdale that Bryan McKenna had been dealing with “financial struggles” and that his focus was on helping his son get the medical help he needed.
It all started when Elkay Plastics, a packaging manufacturer and distributor, contacted Zenaye’s former company, AstZen Group, to buy 500,000 boxes of COVID equipment. They placed an order for medical-grade latex gloves to use as PPE during the pandemic and deposited the $4.45 million into an escrow account overseen by McKenna.
NYC lawyer who stole $4.4M in COVID funds sobs as he learns his fate: ‘I deserve to go to jail’ https://t.co/GtQY1ZjExc pic.twitter.com/91G8aPM3O3
— New York Post (@nypost) March 24, 2026
In January 2021 agreed to hold the funds in his possession until the gloves are shipped. However, by April, he had used up the entire amount and drained the account dry. According to the DA’s office, the COVID equipment never ended up being delivered.
The DA’s office claims that the real estate lawyer was given the chance to return the stolen money in Summer 2021. However, he kept lying and befuddling attorneys about where the money was till November. In July 2025, then-Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced that McKenna had pleaded guilty to stealing the entire amount.
Bragg claimed in the press release, “This plea and expected prison sentence demonstrate the seriousness with which my office treats fraud targeting New Yorkers.”
“From real estate clients to a company purchasing hard-to-find medical gloves during the pandemic, Bryan McKenna repeatedly drained the accounts of those who looked to him for legal representation.”
