A New York attorney has been federally charged with attempted extortion after allegedly hiring an individual to threaten and assault a former client’s son in an effort to collect a $500,000 debt he claimed he was owed.
Joshua Nass, 34, was arrested Friday and charged in a complaint unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn with attempted Hobbs Act extortion, prosecutors said. He was set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky.
According to court filings, beginning in early January 2026, Nass recruited an individual to coerce a former client and the client’s son into paying him $500,000 he claimed was owed for legal services. Nass provided the individual with contact information and addresses associated with the son and instructed him to visit the son’s home to intimidate him into paying.
Nass paid the individual $3,000 in cash upfront for his efforts and allegedly told him to “do anything and everything” to force payment, prosecutors said.
Between January and March 2026, Nass and the individual discussed methods of extracting payment, according to court filings, including physically assaulting the son or forcing him into a car with masked men and threatening him to compel a family member to pay. On one occasion, Nass allegedly told the individual that if the son rebuffed an extortion attempt, the individual could not be a “human being” with him. Nass agreed to pay the individual at least $15,000 total — $5,000 upfront with the remainder contingent on collecting from the son.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said Nass had “plotted the violent extortion of one of his own clients” and vowed to hold accountable those who abuse positions of trust. FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. said Nass had allegedly chosen to “shake down” his client by hiring an enforcer rather than honestly representing him, adding that the bureau prioritizes crushing violent crimes and extortion schemes.
The case is being prosecuted by the office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. If convicted, Nass faces up to 20 years in prison.
As is standard, the charge is an allegation and Nass is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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