By Jacob Kaye
A music media personality was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly hiding evidence in the ongoing fraud case against former Queens Defenders executive director Lori Zeno and her husband, Rashad Ruhani.
Federal prosecutors say that Kimberly Osorio, a music journalist who formerly worked as editor-in-chief of The Source magazine, lied to FBI agents earlier this year about her efforts to hide a cellphone belonging to Ruhani, who, along with his wife, is accused of stealing at least $300,000 from the legal defense nonprofit where they worked.
The writer, who is reportedly preparing to soon release a book on high-profile criminal trials and civil cases involving hip-hop figures, was allegedly traveling with Ruhani on the day of his arrest, and has been hiding at least one of his cell phones ever since.
Osorio, who was charged with making false statements to federal law enforcement and obstruction of justice, was released on a $25,000 bond on Tuesday. Prosecutors say they have yet to find Ruhani’s phone.
Osorio’s arrest is the latest development in federal prosecutors’ case against Zeno and Ruhani, who were both cuffed in June on a slew of fraud charges.
Zeno and Ruhani, who were wed in a religious ceremony but whose marriage is not legally recognized by the state, are accused of using a Queens Defenders credit card to pay for a $10,000 trip to Bali, a night out at a luxury restaurant, a cosmetic procedure and a number of other personal purchases. The pair also allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices to the organization in an effort to get reimbursed for rent payments they made on their luxury apartment in Astoria.
Osorio is one of several people to be connected to the couple’s alleged theft. Two others were fired alongside Zeno and Ruhani earlier this year by the organization’s board. Among them was Ruhani’s legal wife, Ureka Washington, who prosecutors claimed last month directed Ruhani and Zeno to buy $14,000 worth of packaging supplies last year. Zeno allegedly went through with the purchase before attempting to return the goods and pocket the cash following her arrest.
It’s unclear how Ruhani, who was on lifetime parole at the time of his arrest, and Osorio know each other, but prosecutors said they took a trip together to Los Angeles on June 6. The pair flew back to John F. Kennedy Airport on June 10.
While they were in the air, law enforcement began executing a number of search warrants against two unidentified people associated with the case.
According to the charges, Ruhani got a call from the child of one of the people whose phone was seized by the FBI. Prosecutors say that during the five and a half minute call, Ruhani was told that the fraud scheme was coming to light.
Despite sitting next to each other on the flight and in Los Angeles International Airport before it, Ruhani and Osorio were not together when Ruhani got off the plane at JFK and was immediately arrested.
While he allegedly had two phone chargers on him, Ruhani didn’t have a phone.
Osorio allegedly got off the plane a few minutes later and went to sit in a nearby gate for a while before attempting to leave the airport.
Just before leaving JFK, Osorio was confronted by an FBI agent. The media personality allegedly took out her phone to begin recording the conversation.
Osorio allegedly told the agent that she had been traveling alone and that all the electronic devices she had belonged to her.
Prosecutors say that Osorio showed up to Ruhani’s arraignment the following day and told FBI agents there that she actually had traveled from Los Angeles with the now-arrested man. And while her story about her travel partner changed, her story about the electronic devices did not.
“Osorio claimed that she was not present when Ruhani was arrested, did not take possession of any of his property, did not take possession of [Ruhani’s cellphone] and did not know what happened to [it],” court documents read. Osorio also stated that she believed Ruhani had lost the [cellphone].”
Two days after the arrest, Ruhani allegedly called Osorio from the Metropolitan Detention Center where he was being held. During the call, which was recorded, Ruhani allegedly asked Osorio to contact someone on his behalf, according to the charges. Ruhani said that Osorio should “go to the phone that you have” to look up the person’s number.
Osorio allegedly talked to Ruhani the next day and told him that she had gotten the number and spoken with the unidentified person.
A couple of days later, the pair spoke again. During the recorded phone call, Osorio allegedly told Ruhani that a man “took one of your, and I took one,” without describing what was actually taken.