NEW YORK - A federal legal filing shows that Joshua Nass, a lobbyist and head of Merkava Strategies, is in discussions with prosecutors about a possible plea arrangement in a criminal case charging him with extortion-related conduct.
Nass was taken into custody on March 13 on accusations that he hired an individual to intimidate a former client and that client’s son into delivering $500,000, according to court records. The charging papers do not name the client; however, two people familiar with the matter identified the client as Joseph Schwartz, the nursing home owner who received a presidential pardon last year.
In a filing submitted late on Monday, Nass’ defense team asked U.S. Magistrate Judge James Cho in Brooklyn to postpone the deadline for prosecutors to obtain an indictment from April 13 to April 27 while negotiations continue. The lawyers wrote that the additional time is needed to allow the parties to confer regarding a potential resolution of the case, and said prosecutors had agreed to the extension.
Nass has not entered a plea in the case. His attorneys did not immediately provide comment to inquiries. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn declined to comment.
According to court documents, in December 2025 the son of Nass’ former client agreed to pay Nass $100,000 as part of a $600,000 contract for lobbying services. The FBI complaint alleges that in January Nass retained a person with a prior racketeering conviction to threaten and assault the client and his son. The complaint does not describe the lobbying services that were to be provided.
Lobbying disclosure records show that Nass signed on to represent Schwartz beginning November 13, 2025, for the purpose of "petitioning for a pardon/clemency." Those public records indicate Nass was paid $100,000 for his work for Schwartz in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Schwartz, 66, pleaded guilty in November 2024 in federal court in New Jersey to charges tied to a $38 million tax fraud scheme. He began serving a three-year sentence at the federal prison in Otisville, New York, and was granted a pardon by President Trump on November 14, less than three months after reporting to prison. Schwartz’s attorney, Kevin Marino, declined to comment.
The U.S. Constitution grants presidents broad authority to issue clemency for federal offenses. Historically, presidents often grant pardons or commute sentences near the end of their terms after extended review processes. The filing notes that during his second term in the White House, President Trump exercised the clemency power earlier and more frequently than his recent predecessors.
Contextual note - The public record in this case currently comprises the arrest, the filing seeking an extension of the indictment deadline, lobbying disclosures tying Nass to a clemency petition for Schwartz, and the FBI complaint describing alleged threats and payments. Prosecutors and defense lawyers have indicated they are discussing a potential resolution, but no plea has been entered.