Freehold, NJ– A real-estate attorney has confessed to embezzling nearly $1.18 million from 60 clients, as announced by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago on Wednesday. Steven H. Salami, 49, from Hazlet, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Christie Bevacqua to the charge of second-degree Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity.
Salami was slapped with multiple charges.
An investigation by the MCPO Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions Unit revealed that Salami defrauded four victims of nearly $300,000 between April and August 2019. Salami was found to have accepted funds for real-estate transactions while failing to execute the required work, which caused missed closing dates and nullified transactions.
Salami’s arrest in August 2019 led to further investigation, uncovering additional victims and prompting a 63-count indictment by a Monmouth County Grand Jury in July 2021. The case was paused until the Superior Court Appellate Division in November 2023 allowed the State’s appeal to reinstate two previously dismissed charges.
The sentencing is scheduled for Friday, January 17, 2025.