PITTSBURGH – A California man claims that he was defrauded of $90,000 he paid to an Israeli lawyer and jewelry company founder, under the pretense that they were to form a professional and potentially romantic partnership.
Michael Pitkow (as Executor of the Estate of Harvey Salzman) of Playa Vista, Calif. filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on May 20 versus Michael Meerhoff of Mount Lebanon and Yarden Haham of Perryton, Texas. Haham has 404,000 Instagram followers and is an Israeli lawyer, dancer, social media influencer, teacher and model, the suit says. Pitkow began communicating with her on Aug. 16, 2021, the suit says.
“Haham is the founder of Jorden Jewelry, a burgeoning Israel-based jewelry company found in 2020. Pitkow owns and operates a jewelry business, Talisman Unlimited. Pitkow is also the Executor of the Estate of Harvey Salzman,” the suit says.
“Throughout the conversations between Pitkow and Haham, Haham spoke extensively about her business deals and her need for short-term liquidity to open up funds from which Pitkow would be paid back. To build credibility, Haham claimed to practice law in Tel Aviv, Israel and in Houston, Texas, where she had previously been employed by Fulbright & Jaworski, a Texas-headquartered global law firm. Haham also claimed to be a licensed attorney in the State of Texas. Haham further stated that the investments would unlock inheritances and complete other jewelry purchases, which would be turned into cash to pay back Pitkow.”
According to Pitkow, he believed that a business arrangement with Haham could lead to both romance and a business relationship, leading him to initially loan Haham $50,000, in order to obtain a return from her in three days totaling $100,000.
A loan and security agreement following these same terms on Sept. 9, 2021. Haham requested that the checks be made to her co-defendant, Meerhoff, whom the suit says is a scammer with a known criminal record.
Pitkow then sent the second check to Pittsburgh.
Not long thereafter, Haham told Pitkow she needed an additional $40,000 – which she claimed would yield an interest payment totaling $100,000 to Pitkow, the suit says.
Pitkow then sent defendant this additional amount, however, Haham pleaded with Pitkow for an additional $10,000, the suit says.
“After Haham failed to make payments on the initial loans, Pitkow refused any further requests for more money and demanded back the money he sent as earlier loans. Pitkow informed Haham that, due to her and Meerhoff’s improprieties and falsehoods, he was suffering from new cardiac symptoms, stress and money problems which were shortening his life and making his quality of life worse. Haham responded by telling Pitkow that the way to relieve his problems was to send additional money so that Pitkow could recover the money he had sent in previous transactions. Pitkow loaned Haham a total of $90,000 for a purported jewelry business,” the suit states.
“Pitkow has seen none of that money returned and is owed well over $100,000 according to promises between the parties, not including the percentage of the inheritance and percentage of the profits from the jewelry business. On March 28, 2022, someone purporting to be FBI Agent Olivia James, contacted Pitkow regarding the impending arrest of Haham. Agent James made representations to Pitkow that Haham was going to pay her debt to him 100 percent guaranteed. Agent James also claimed to have frozen all of Haham’s bank accounts. Pitkow has suffered emotional, psychological and physical pain resulting from Haham and Meerhoff’s deceit and fraud.”
For counts of fraudulent inducement, negligent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, the plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages, attorney’s fees, interest, costs and punitive damages, in excess of the jurisdictional limits for arbitration and any other such relief as this Court may deem proper.
The plaintiff is represented by Leah M. Wilson of Very Law, in Pittsburgh.
The defendants have not yet secured legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-22-006099
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com