Trending Now - Trump Pardon Lobbyist Faces Attempted Extortion Charges

WHO:

Joshua Nass, 34, a lobbyist and attorney from Charleston, South Carolina

Joseph Schwartz, a former nursing home executive who was convicted of tax crimes and pardoned by Trump

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. of the Eastern District of New York

FBI Assistant Director James Barnacle

WHAT:

Nass was charged with attempted extortion for trying to recover $500,000 in debt from a former client and his son

Nass faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted

Nass was arrested on March 13th, 2026, outside his hotel in New York

Nass was released on a $5 million bond secured by five properties and $50,000 in cash

Nass had been paid $100,000 for lobbying services related to Schwartz's pardon

WHERE:

Brooklyn, New York, where Nass appeared in federal court

Charleston, South Carolina, where Nass is based

New York hotel where Nass was arrested

WHEN:

Nass was arrested on March 13th, 2026

Nass appeared in court on March 14th, 2026

The alleged extortion attempts began in January 2026

Trump pardoned Joseph Schwartz on November 14th, 2025

WHY:

Nass allegedly sought to recover $500,000 owed for lobbying services from a former client

Nass viewed a request for a payment plan as an "insult"

HOW:

Nass allegedly hired a confidential witness to intimidate the former client and his son into paying the debt

Nass instructed the witness to physically assault the client’s son or force him into a car with masked men

Text messages revealed discussions about using violence to collect the debt, including a payment of $15,000 for the witness's efforts

(UPDATED March 15, 2026 01:23 UTC)

Joshua Nass, a 34-year-old lobbyist and attorney from Charleston, South Carolina, was arrested on March 13, 2026, for attempted extortion after allegedly trying to recover $500,000 in debt from a former client, Joseph Schwartz, who was pardoned by Trump. Nass faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, and he appeared in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, the following day, where he was released on a $5 million bond. Prosecutors allege that Nass hired a confidential witness to intimidate the client and his son, with text messages revealing plans for violence, including a payment of $15,000 for the witness's efforts.