Nir Meir Headed To Trial

Nir Meir has not yet accepted a plea deal, his attorney said at his last court appearance before his October trial.

The disgraced former HFZ Capital executive has pleaded not guilty in an alleged $86 million fraud case involving the XI condo project on the High Line.

When Meir was in court earlier this month, his attorney, Stephen McCarthy, asked the judge for one last chance to make a plea deal before trial, saying he had a meeting planned with the bureau chief at the Manhattan district attorney’s office. Though he called the meeting “productive” and said the two are “closer” to a resolution, he told the judge on Wednesday there is still no deal.

The judge, Meir’s attorney and prosecutors agreed to keep the October 14 trial date and scheduled no new appearances before then. Still, McCarthy indicated he remains hopeful they will reach an agreement, telling the judge, Ann Thompson, he might come to her with a plea deal soon.

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 at his last appearance earlier this month.

Meir, who is on house arrest with electronic monitoring, arrived in court on Wednesday appearing upbeat, sporting a new haircut and a black polo shirt.

McCarthy said in court that he had a “productive meeting” with Chris Conway, the Manhattan district attorney’s office bureau chief, after Meir’s last court appearance earlier this month.

“We’re closer to a resolution,” he added.

McCarthy said that he and the prosecutor, Chris Beard, agreed to keep the October 14 trial date, but he kept open the possibility that they could return to the judge with a plea deal.

“Should we be in a position to come back before Your Honor and indicate a particular request of a plea to the indictment, may we advance the case?” he asked.

“You made the exact record that I was just about to make, so we are all in agreement,” she responded.

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 and minimal fines.

McCarthy, Meir’s third lawyer, has maintained his optimism about a plea deal for months. If found guilty at trial, Meir could face a lengthy jail sentence. Prior to their consolidation, Meir faced 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 the case outside of a trial.