Grievance lawyer refers complaint against Cassisi, shown here, and Aronow, to Chief Counsel. Photo: cassisilaw.com
A lawyer who works with the New York State Grievance Committee, involved in reviewing complaints filed by a former client against two attorneys, has referred the cases “for appropriate action” to the office of the Chief Counsel, according to at least four people familiar with the matter.
The complaints by Ashmeen Modikhan against Frank J. Cassisi, who’s alleged to have filed multiple forged documents in two court proceedings, and, separately, against Darren A. Aronow, who’s alleged to have steered her into a loan modification scheme, were referred for the “appropriate action” in a letter dated Sept. 26, 2024 to the Chief Counsel.
A spokesperson for the Grievance Committee wouldn’t comment on whether there would be any action taken against Cassisi and Aronow when contacted by Black Star News.
Cassisi didn’t respond to an e-mail message seeking comment; Brian Isaac, an attorney representing him in another matter involving Modikhan also didn’t respond.
Aronow also didn’t respond to an e-mail message seeking comment; Richard Artura, who represents Aronow in an alleged malpractice action in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York, by Modikhan, also didn’t respond.
Modikhan had complained to the Grievance Committee in a letter dated Sept. 6, 2024.
The complaint by Modikhan, a former American Airlines employee, stated that she’d hired Cassisi to represent her after the door of a bus operated by Golden Touch Transportation of New York Inc., a vendor for the airlines, shut prematurely and crushed her right hand and arm in 2014. “I live in constant pain in my right hand, arm, shoulder neck and back as a result of the internal and external injuries sustained. I was also subsequently diagnose[d] with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS),” Modikhan’s complaint stated.
After Cassisi filed a $5 million lawsuit against Golden Touch, “Cassisi kept me in the dark and offered no reason why the case dragged on for years. It is only through recent reporting by Black Star News…” the complaint stated, “that I became aware of Cassisi’s schemes.”
Modikhan attached to the Grievance Committee complaint a Black Star News article detailing how, over the years, Cassisi filed multiple forged documents in New York State Supreme Court; he also filed a forged retainer—without a date on it and with a signature that doesn’t match the signature on the dated version in Modikhan’s possession—in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of New York, where it remains on the docket.
In the complaint, Modikhan informed the Committee that while dealing with the personal injury case she’d also been fighting “illegal foreclosure” against her two Queens properties initiated by two law firms, Rosicki Rosicki and Associates, and Berkman, Henoch, Peterson, Peddy & Fenchel P.C., respectively, in 2010 and in 2012. Rosicki, the complaint noted, was later sued by the federal government for engaging in widespread fraudulent foreclosure practices and fined $6 million.
The complaint outlined how Modikhan hired Aronow in 2019, to represent her in the alleged wrongful foreclosure matters that led her to bankruptcy. The complaint stated that Aronow “steered” Modikhan into a “loan modification scheme” in the Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District. “When I hired Aronow in 2019, I was unaware that he had been sanctioned by the State of Maryland. He took money from 44 homeowners and never delivered on the loan modifications he promised them. He had to refund $122,661.50,” the complaint, with a copy of the Maryland settlement attached, stated. “The Consent order he signed ordered him to cease the practice of illegally collecting monies for loan modifications, yet he continued in New York as my case shows,” the complaint stated, referring to Aronow.
According to Modikhan’s complaint, judges presiding over the foreclosure cases allowed fraudulent forged proofs of claim (POC) to be introduced in the State court and later in the Bankruptcy court. The complaint stated that, therefore, since there are actually no legitimate creditors of record with standing, the current presiding judge Jil Mazer-Marino never should have lifted the stay on sale of her two properties. For the same reason—absent legitimate creditors with standing—her personal injury case never should have been attached by the Bankruptcy court, the complaint stated.
“Since 2022 Black Star News has been reporting on my cases and publishing articles,” Modikhan’s complaint added. “The most recent article outlines how Cassisi colluded with the Chapter 7 Trustee, Alan Nisselson, in my bankruptcy case and filed several documents with forged signatures in my personal injury case in the State court and in the Bankruptcy court.”
“Both the presiding Judge Jil Mazer-Marino and the trustee Alan Nisselson have ignored Cassisi’s illegal activities. The forged/fraudulent documents remain on the court’s docket and the Committee and law enforcement can review. Judge Mazer-Marino also allowed purported creditors to file fraudulent Proofs of Claim (POC) 5.1 and 6.1 for my properties. I now wonder how many more forged/fraudulent documents in other cases are also on the court’s docket today in light of my experience,” the complaint added.
“I am still fighting the illegal foreclosure on my properties, the wrongful sales of my properties, the pending illegal evictions Civil Court Housing Part, and the illegal attempt by the bankruptcy court trustee to seize control of my personal injury case even though there are no creditors of record whom I owe money,” the complaint stated.
Modikhan copied her Grievance Committee complaint to: Governor Kathy Hochul; Attorney General Letitia James; U.S. Attorney Damian Williams Jr.; Queens DA Melinda Katz; Judge Marguerite A. Grays (New York State Supreme Court); Judge Alan Trust (U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of New York); Judge Vijay M. Kitson (Housing Court); Cassisi; Aronow; and two media outlets.
