Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon reports the arrest of Esther Bassoff, 77, of Floral Park. Bassoff was originally arrested by the DA's Criminal Frauds Bureau in November of 2004 and has been accused of deceiving potential purchasers of businesses out of approximately $177,200. Since her arrest in November, Dillon's office has discovered additional victims. Bassoff is accused of defrauding these victims out of $89,000, which led to her arrest.

According to Dillon, Esther Bassoff is the owner of Bass Business Brokers in Great Neck. This company is in the business of arranging deals between individuals who are interested in buying and selling businesses, Dillon said.

In August of 2005, Bassoff was indicted by a grand jury on six counts of grand larceny in the third degree, one count of grand larceny in the second degree, and one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree, for misappropriating approximately $177,200 in binders and deposits from several potential purchasers of businesses.

"This case is still pending and has been considered an open investigation by my office," Dillon said. "As a result of my ongoing investigation, we have received subsequent complaints of a similar nature, which has led to Bassoff being arrested by my office this morning.

"Sometime in June of 2004, a family had decided to invest in an optical business since two of the relatives were licensed opticians," Dillon continued. "They were introduced to Esther Bassoff by a third party. Bassoff attempted to negotiate the sale of a business for the victims. There was a purchase offer and acceptance agreement that was signed by all involved parties. Between June 24, 2004 and August 6, 2004, the complainants gave Bassoff a total of $89,000 to be applied as a deposit. Ultimately, when the financing was denied and the complainants demanded the return of their money, Bassoff refused. As a result, she was arrested this morning and has been charged with grand larceny in the second degree, a Class C felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison."

Bassoff was arraigned in District Court in Hempstead. If anyone has additional information on this case, contact the Criminal Frauds Bureau at 571-3343.

The charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.