Investigations

On August 5, 2020, a criminal complaint was unsealed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, against Yakov Moroz—the president of Great Movers Inc. and its successor company New City Movers—and company employee Tal Ohana. Moroz and Ohana were arrested and charged with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy.

 

According to the criminal complaint, Moroz and Ohana—through their affiliated moving companies—defrauded dozens of customers by misrepresenting the estimated charges for moving services. They required customers to pay additional fees, often more than 10 percent of the original estimate, and then required customers to pay these fees before delivering their goods. Moroz and Ohana also threatened to sell or auction the customers’ belongings if the fees were not paid. Many customers ultimately paid the inflated and additional fees to ensure delivery of their property. These practices violate Federal regulations for companies engaged in the transportation of household goods in interstate commerce.

 

DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

 

Note: Indictments, informations, and criminal complaints are only accusations by the Government. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.