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Winick broker accused of “fraudulent scheme” involving sex worker in new suit
He was arrested last year for allegedly stealing from her
A Winick Realty Group broker misled a female sex worker by promising to save her from eviction in exchange for her services, a new lawsuit alleges. Instead of helping her, he is accused of stealing from her home.
Ross Burack, 29, is said to have met the woman — identified in court records as Sharoken Khoshaba —through a “web site used by men to seek for-hire sexual encounters.” The two engaged in consensual sex, for which Burack paid, and he later contacted the woman saying he needed to return to her apartment to retrieve some belonging he had left behind, the complaint states.
Upon returning to her apartment, Burack allegedly told Khoshaba that he’d “successfully arranged to delete” her name from a list of tenants to be evicted from the building. In exchange for that “favor” he wanted her to “perform sexual acts with him when he wanted” and “go on dates with him,” the suit states.
Khoshaba agreed to these terms “under what she thought was the threat of eviction,” according to a lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court in Manhattan.
After they made that agreement, they had sex and Khoshaba fell asleep, the lawsuit states, and realized Burack stole from her once she woke up.
A report from the New York City Police Department shows — on that same day, April 12 — Burack stole $1,100 in cash from the 30-year-old woman, along with a debit card and some medication.
A representative for Burack declined to comment. A representative for Winick declined to comment.
The police report, which documents the burglary, shows the incident occurred at 303 10th Avenue in West Chelsea. Atlantic Development Group owns the property, records show, and does not appear to have any connection to Burack, who allegedly claimed he owned the building through his father’s company. A representative for Atlantic Development didn’t respond to requests for comment.
He was arrested on June 7, when he turned himself in to police, according to the NYPD. He was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, though he subsequently pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted larceny with no jail time, court records show.
The lawsuit claims Khoshaba suffered emotional distress as a result of Burack’s “fraudulent misrepresentation.”
Burack is currently marketing space at 795 Columbus Avenue, One Hudson Yards and 801 Amsterdam Avenue, among other properties, according to Winick’s site.