Bryan McKenna is a former Manhattan real estate attorney who was sentenced in March 2026 to two to six years in state prison after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $4.7 million from clients between 2021 and 2023. He drained his attorney escrow account of funds meant for real estate closings and a pandemic-era medical glove purchase, and he was disbarred in 2024 in a separate misconduct matter involving client trust funds.1Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. DA Bragg Announces Guilty Plea of Former Attorney for Stealing Nearly $4.7 Million From Clients
The $4.4 Million Pandemic Glove Escrow
The largest theft grew out of a COVID-era supply deal. In January 2021, Elkay Plastics Co., a California packaging distributor, agreed to buy 500,000 boxes of medical-grade latex gloves through AstZen Group LLC, a Washington, D.C. medical supply firm run by Duni Zenaye. McKenna acted as escrow agent. Elkay deposited roughly $5 million into his client escrow account.2Jus Mundi. Elkay Plastics Co., Inc. v. AstZen Group LLC and Bryan A. McKenna, Final Award
About $498,000 was refunded to Elkay in March 2021. By April, McKenna had transferred the remaining $4.45 million out of the escrow account and into his own bank account. When the gloves never arrived and Elkay pressed for its money back, he misrepresented the status of the funds through November 2021, according to prosecutors.1Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. DA Bragg Announces Guilty Plea of Former Attorney for Stealing Nearly $4.7 Million From Clients
Prosecutors said McKenna used the money to “benefit his personal life” and to fund a “romantic relationship” with Zenaye, who was not charged in the case.3New York Post. NYC Attorney Stole $4.4M Meant for COVID Gear to Fund Romantic Relationship With CEO GF His defense attorney, Eric Franz, told the sentencing court that McKenna had faced financial difficulties and intended to use the funds for his son’s mental health treatment.4New York Post. NYC Lawyer Who Stole $4.4M in COVID Funds Sobs as He Learns His Fate
Two Real Estate Clients Robbed at Closing
McKenna also stole more than $260,000 from two individual clients in unrelated home sales. In March 2021, he represented a woman selling a Manhattan condominium and received about $1.15 million in proceeds. He was supposed to hold back roughly $160,000 for the seller’s capital gains taxes. Instead, he moved that money to his own account and never paid the IRS or the client.5Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. DA Bragg Announces Indictment of Real Estate Attorney for Stealing More Than $260K From Clients
In October 2023, he represented a man selling a Brooklyn townhouse. Of the $762,000 in proceeds, he used $653,000 to pay off the mortgage as required and kept the remaining $109,000 rather than turning it over to the seller.5Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. DA Bragg Announces Indictment of Real Estate Attorney for Stealing More Than $260K From Clients
Disbarment
McKenna had been admitted to the New York bar on March 23, 1994, and practiced in the New York area for nearly three decades before submitting his resignation on November 20, 2023. In that resignation, he acknowledged misappropriating $184,600 in client funds from his attorney trust account and stated he could not successfully defend against the allegations. This was a separate matter from the criminal charges.
The Appellate Division, First Department, accepted the resignation in an order entered March 19, 2024, disbarring him retroactive to November 2023. The court ordered him to pay $188,100 in restitution, covering the misappropriated funds plus $3,500 in legal fees, and preserved the court’s jurisdiction over any future claims from the Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection.6New York Courts. Matter of McKenna
The Criminal Case
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged McKenna in two rounds. A September 2024 indictment covered the two real estate clients and included one count of second-degree grand larceny and one count of first-degree scheme to defraud.5Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. DA Bragg Announces Indictment of Real Estate Attorney for Stealing More Than $260K From Clients In March 2025 he was arraigned on additional grand larceny charges tied to the Elkay Plastics escrow theft, pleaded not guilty, and was released on electronic monitoring by Judge Althea Drysdale.3New York Post. NYC Attorney Stole $4.4M Meant for COVID Gear to Fund Romantic Relationship With CEO GF
On July 15, 2025, McKenna pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree grand larceny and one count of second-degree grand larceny, resolving both indictments. The plea agreement carried a promised sentence of two to six years in state prison.1Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. DA Bragg Announces Guilty Plea of Former Attorney for Stealing Nearly $4.7 Million From Clients
Judge Drysdale imposed that sentence on March 24, 2026. McKenna, then 62, wept in court and told the judge, “I’m just ashamed of myself. I tried to lead a good life,” and “I did these crimes — I deserve to go to jail. I don’t know what else to say for myself.”4New York Post. NYC Lawyer Who Stole $4.4M in COVID Funds Sobs as He Learns His Fate
Whether Elkay Recovered Its Money
Elkay Plastics pursued McKenna and AstZen through American Arbitration Association proceedings starting in July 2021. In a final award dated July 25, 2022, the arbitrator ordered McKenna to return $4,501,400 in escrow funds to Elkay, plus roughly $27,000 in arbitration costs and a $30,000 sanction for his refusal to produce escrow records. AstZen was separately ordered to pay about $69,000 in liquidated damages and interest.2Jus Mundi. Elkay Plastics Co., Inc. v. AstZen Group LLC and Bryan A. McKenna, Final Award
The Supreme Court of New York in Manhattan confirmed the award on January 17, 2023, and entered judgment on February 6, 2023.7Jus Mundi. Elkay Plastics Co., Inc. v. AstZen Group LLC and Bryan A. McKenna, Decision and Order There is no public indication the judgment has been satisfied.