Nir Meir Nears Trial For Fraud Case

A judge tentatively set a date for disgraced former HFZ Capital executive Nir Meir to finally go to trial for an alleged $86 million fraud case involving the XI condo project on the High Line.

The judge, Meir’s attorney and prosecutors agreed to a trial date in October during a court appearance in New York County criminal court on Wednesday.

But the judge, Ann Thompson, agreed to give Meir one last court date later this month ahead of trial.

Before then, Meir’s lawyer, Stephen McCarthy, said he plans to speak with a bureau chief at the District Attorney’s office this week about a way to resolve the case other than a trial.

Meir and McCarthy declined to comment on the case to TRD.

Prosecutors charged Meir with masterminding a sprawling $86 million fraud scheme in which he allegedly diverted hundreds of millions of dollars out of HFZ’s luxury real estate projects to cover shortfalls on other HFZ projects and to enrich himself and other HFZ executives. He faced four separate indictments including grand larceny, conspiracy and tax fraud, though Thompson consolidated them into one on Wednesday. Meir has pleaded not guilty.

Meir, who is on house arrest with electronic monitoring, arrived in court Wednesday morning wearing a black t-shirt and black sweatpants, looking slimmer than in past court appearances. In April, Thompson, granted Meir two hours each day to leave the house and exercise. On Wednesday, McCarthy asked if Meir could have an extra hour out of the house on Fridays to attend synagogue, which Thompson granted.

His requests didn’t stop there. McCarthy also asked Thompson to adjourn the case for three weeks so he could meet with Chris Conway — the bureau chief at the D.A. — on Thursday to modify the office’s proposed jail sentence should Meir plead guilty. He said that the modified offer would “enable us to resolve the case.”

During his plea, McCarthy thanked Thompson for allowing Meir the ability to leave his home.

“We’re not going to discuss —” Thompson told him.

“I’m merely thanking you,” McCarthy countered.

“You’re buttering me up so I can give you a three-week adjournment,” she snapped.

“No,” he protested. “I’m telling you the facts.”

Thompson was skeptical of McCarthy’s motivation for the meeting and pressed about who initiated it: Was it Chris Beard and Garrett Baldwin — the assistant D.A.s assigned to the case — or was McCarthy escalating the case because Beard and Baldwin were sticking firm to their offer?

“I have had productive conversations with Mr. Beard, and he said go ahead and speak to Chris,” McCarthy responded. He added that he expects Beard to be at the Thursday meeting.

“Look, you’re busy, and I’m busy, and the D.A. is busy,” McCarthy told Thompson. “I wouldn’t be wasting your time if I didn’t think it had some value.”

Meir is the only defendant of his nine original co-defendants to not reach a plea deal. All of his co-defendants entered guilty pleas with no jail time. Thompson scheduled the next court date for July 22, when they will then confirm the trial date.

McCarthy, Meir’s third lawyer, has been optimistic about reaching a deal to prevent the case from going to trial. If found guilty at trial, Meir could face a lengthy jail sentence — seven to 21 years per indictment, Thompson said at a court appearance in June 2025. In April, McCarthy told TRD that Meir is “working toward a successful resolution” despite Beard stating in court that he does see a way to resolve it outside of a trial.

Towards the end of the court appearance on Wednesday, McCarthy and Baldwin approached the bench to discuss a possible trial date. Meir sat at the defendant’s table glancing around the room, briefly chatting with two courtroom police officers and exchanging a fist bump with one. They agreed on October 14, pending confirmation on July 22.