Queens Movers Arrested For Extorting Customers: Feds

FRESH MEADOWS, QUEENS — A father-and-son duo who ran several moving companies in Queens were arrested Tuesday for refusing to return customers' belongings unless they paid surprise additional fees, court records show.

Fresh Meadows residents Michael Nadel and his son, Yarin "Joe" Nadel, stand accused of extorting at least $100,000 under six different company names from 2018 to 2019, according to a grand jury indictment filed Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court.

Prosecutors claim the Nadels threatened to sell or auction off their customers' possessions unless they paid additional fees in cash, violating federal regulations on how much moving companies can increase charges above their original price quotes, records show.

They attributed the added fees to "unforseen circumstances," the indictment says.

One customer in Virginia allegedly hired the Nadels' company Moving State to State and agreed to pay $4,773.60 for them to move her belongings to Washington.

On the day of the move, the Nadels showed up with a truck from Budget Rental, loaded it with her stuff, then demanded an additional $3,000 for the move, according to a civil complaint filed in March.

The duo is also facing charges of sending the U.S. Department of Transportation false information to get licenses for their moving trucks, according to the grand jury indictment.