From Perjury Coverups to Russian Oligarchs, Albany’s Ethics Enforcer Faces Growing Demands for Federal Investigation
By Dick LaFontaine with Richard Luthmann
NY JUDICIAL CORRUPTION INC. — THE FIX IS IN
Robert H. Tembeckjian is paid to enforce judicial ethics in New York’s courts. Instead, he’s running a protection racket that suprasses anything that ever came out of Mulberry Street or the dockside in Odessa.
As the powerful Administrator and Counsel to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Tembeckjian controls which judges face discipline—and which ones skate.
The public sees him as the watchdog of the bench.
But behind closed doors, he’s fixing cases, shielding judicial criminals, and protecting his corrupt foreign business partners.
Tembeckjian sits on the Global Advisory Board of Balchug Capital, a shadowy hedge fund linked to Russian oligarch David Amaryan.
Balchug isn’t just any investment firm. It’s the rebranded version of Copperstone Capital, one of the offshore firms named in a $100 million SEC hacking and insider trading case involving stolen corporate earnings reports.
According to U.S. court documents, Amaryan and his co-conspirators worked with Ukrainian hackers to access confidential market data. They used the stolen press releases to front-run trades on U.S. exchanges.
While several traders were convicted and imprisoned, Amaryan walked.
Critics now say Tembeckjian helped him escape federal criminal prosecution—and was rewarded with a lucrative seat on Balchug’s board.
But for Tembeckjian’s intervention, Amaryan would have done serious time in federal prison.
“Tembeckjian could be federally investigated for aiding a criminal enterprise,” said one former SEC attorney. “This isn’t just unethical—it’s potentially criminal.”
THE WATCHDOG WHO WORKS FOR THE WOLVES
Balchug Capital’s base of operations is in Moscow, on Sadovnicheskaya Street—within walking distance of the Kremlin.
Even the firm’s name, “Balchug,” is a nod to the elite Moscow district it calls home.
The firm boasts of investments across Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Georgia—regions plagued by political corruption and kleptocracy.
Balchug’s founder, David Amaryan, is a Russian national who appears on SEC and DOJ enforcement filings, linked to wire fraud, money laundering, and insider trading.
Earlier this year, Balchug made headlines when Vladimir Putin personally approved its takeover of Goldman Sachs’ Russian assets, including stakes in eight publicly traded companies.
So why is Robert Tembeckjian—New York’s top judicial ethics enforcer—working for this operation?
State records show no disclosure of his role at Balchug. He’s never recused himself from any matter involving Russian actors, cybercrime, or financial corruption.
Meanwhile, Balchug’s website uses his credentials to legitimize its business, listing his decades of “ethics enforcement” experience and U.N. affiliations.
This dual life raises chilling questions.
“Is Tembeckjian laundering credibility for a criminal enterprise?” one ethics watchdog asked. “Or is he a U.S. government official compromised by Russian money?”
NY JUDICIAL CORRUPTION INC. — THE PATTERN OF PROTECTION
Tembeckjian’s corruption isn’t limited to shady foreign deals. He’s also shielding domestic criminals in black robes.
Tembeckjian’s misconduct spans the state. In Westchester, disabled veteran Marc Fishman was denied ADA accommodations by Family Court judges.
Despite multiple complaints, the Commission never acted.
Fishman ultimately won accommodations in federal court—but only after years of abuse.
He says the state’s watchdog is worthless.
“If Tembeckjian won’t protect disabled veterans, who will he protect?” Fishman asked. “Only the corrupt and the connected.”
Under Tembeckjian’s leadership, the Commission has become a political tool. Judges who play the game are shielded. Whistleblowers and victims are ignored.
And while ordinary people suffer, foreign criminals and unethical judges get a pass.
The Commission’s refusal to discipline Judge Michelle Schauer—who jailed Fishman, denied him due process, and withheld medical records—confirms the rot.
Tembeckjian himself once wrote that “there is no time constraint in New York on examining unethical behavior that might render a judge morally unfit.”
Yet his own actions contradict that principle.
NY JUDICIAL CORRUPTION INC. — THE RONALD CASTORINA SCANDAL
In 2018, Staten Island Judge Ronald Castorina lied under oath before a grand jury. Grand Jury Transcripts and Facebook messages show that Castorina, a New York State Supreme Court Justice, perjured himself about his political and legal ties to journalist Richard Luthmann, then an attorney and close associate.
Tembeckjian knows all about it. He reviewed the Facebook messages and the grand jury testimony.
Rather than investigate Castorina, he gained a favor – a chip to cash in at a later date from the powerful judge.
Despite overwhelming evidence, the Commission on Judicial Conduct dismissed the complaint as “not sufficiently related to judicial functions” to warrant further investigation.
Tembeckjian personally wrote to Castorina to inform him the case was “going away.”
Tembeck’s Commission saw the perjury allegations as “unsubstantiated.” For him, there is no reason to think Judge Castorina is not fit to serve and render judgment on others.
In response, Luthmann wrote a letter to Tembeckjian accusing him of corruption.
“Tembeckjian’s Commission never said Castorina didn’t perjure himself,” Luthmann said. “Tembeckjian just buried it. That’s a coverup. It makes you wonder how many child rapists and wife beaters are also on the bench in New York State that Tembeckjian decided were more valuable to protect and put in his pocket.”
Castorina’s dishonesty goes deeper than perjury.
In a the underlying incident, Judge Castorina collaborated with Luthmann to create a fake Facebook page targeting a political opponent in a 2016 Republican Primary Election.
Private messages show Judge Castorina directing the content, choosing pictures, and celebrating misogynistic attacks against a female candidate.
Filed court documents show NYC Councilmember Kamillah Hanks recently made admissions that she engaged in the same political activity with Luthmann in 2017.
Yet Tembeckjian’s Commission declined to investigate Judge Castorina.
Why? Is there a non-corrupt explanation?
Now you, the reader, gets a chance to play Robert H. Tembeckjian and render judgement on Judge Castorina.
INCOMPETENCE OR CORRUPTION? YOU DECIDE
“This isn’t incompetence. It’s corruption,” Luthmann maintains. Is he right?
We’ll present the case, you decide.
Keep in mind as your read, Robert H. Tembeckjian has reviewed all of this evidence and determined that it did not warrant an investigation of Judge Castorina.
Tembeckjian reviewed Judge Castorina’s Facebook messages with Luthmann. He also reviewed Judge Castorina’s 2018 Grand Jury Testimony.
The focus here is on Tembeckjian’s judgment as New York State’s SOLE judicial watchdog.
Do you see anthing wrong?
In 2015, Luthmann created a fake Facebook page for then Democratic District Attorney Candidate Michael McMahon.
The page still exists. As far as Facebook is concerned, it never violated Community Standards.
The page was clearly made to lampoon McMahon and contained political satire, including the McMahon campaign team re-styled as a La Cosa Nostra Family.
Judge Castorina was fully aware of Luthmann’s exploits. They had extensive Facebook messenger conversations about the episode.
Luthmann had previously called McMahon’s team “POLITICAL HACKS.”
Castorina interjected, “The Irish mafia, lol.”
In another message, Luthmann sent a picture of McMahon alongside the Dr. Seuss character “The Grinch.”
Castorina replied, “Lmfao- fucking hysterical ha ha ha. You’re the best rich. I just got home and saw this and cracked up. It’s spot on. Lol.”
In yet another message, Luthmann referred to McMahon as “Smiling Jack” and McMahon’s advisor, disgraced former Judge Carmen Cognetta, as “Girl Get On Your Back.”
The latter reference was to sexual harassment allegations that forced Cognetta to resign from the Family Court bench in 1993.
Judge Castorina’s reaction was apparent.
“I love the smiling jack reference and ‘girl get on your back’ fuckin amazing,” Castorina said.
However in 2018, Judge Castorina’s Grand Jury testimony was a total 180-degree turnaround.
In somber tones, he was shown and asked to describe the Grinch and McMahon photos. Judge Castorina neglected to state his first reaction was “Lmfao- fucking hysterical.”
JUDGE CASTORINA [shown the Grinch and McMahon photos]: “He [Luthmann] compared D.A. McMahon to a Dr. Seuss character in a photograph. He put two photographs side by side. It shows D.A. McMahon looked like he was in a frowning — has a frowning face on, and then the Dr. Seuss character has a similar frowning face.”
NELSON: “Now does that fairly and accurately represent what you observed around the time period of September of 2015, which would be several months before the District Attorney’s general election?”
JUDGE CASTORINA: “And at least seven months before my first election, yes. It does accurately represent a — a message — I mean a message, if you will, because it’s two photographs that were transmitted to me by Mr. Luthmann.”
NELSON: “And how about the next photograph, sir?”
Judge Castorina was shown the McMahon-Cognetta photo and, in an utterly astonishing statement, claimed he was “not sure” what Luthmann was referring to.
Yet in 2015, Judge Castorina messaged Luthmann, “I love the smiling jack reference and ‘girl get on your back’ fuckin amazing.”
JUDGE CASTORINA: “The next one had — it says, Smiling Jack and Girl Get On Your Back. Meet Team McMahon. Is this who you want keeping Staten Island safe? I don’t know who he’s referring to as well. I guess he’s referring to D.A. McMahon as Smiling Jack, I guess. I don’t know. I would be speculating to say. But clearly there are two photographs, one of what appears to be D.A. McMahon and another which looks like former Judge Cognetta.”
Castorina’s statements about sitting District Attorney McMahon pale compared to what he said about his political rival for NYS Assembly, a Staten Island lawyer named Janine Materna.
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JANINE MATERNA AND MORE GRAND JURY LIES
One notable conversation thread centers around Janine Materna, a Staten Island attorney who was then running for New York State Assembly. Castorina was then the holder of the seat, the “Reddest” district in the State of New York.
In speaking with Luthmann about this article, he expressed regret for his statements about and actions against Materna a decade ago, calling her “a great attorney and even better person.”
“What Ron and I did to Janine Materna was wrong. Morally and politically wrong, but not illegal. Ron’s lies about it under oath in 2018 were Rubicon-crossing dishonesty. They were a crime that disqualifies him from the bench,” Luthmann said.
On October 11, 2015, Castorina told Luthmann that Materna had filed a campaign committee, indicating she would likely challenge him.
“Janine Materna filed a committee—she’s going to primary me for sure,” Castorina wrote.
Luthmann’s reply was supportive, and the conversation revealed strategic discussions about Materna’s political activities.
“That bitch has had a URL for assembly congress and senate for 5 years- she’s fucking nuts,” Castorina said.
Luthmann replied, “Facebook…”
Castorina was drawn in immediately to the suggestion.
“Yes- I need to talk to you about that race, and I’m going to need your expertise,” the now-sitting judge said.
On October 11, 2015, Richard Luthmann shared the link to the Janine Materna Fake Facebook page with Ronald Castorina for the first time.
Castorina knew about the fake Materna page in October 2015.
On November 7, 2015, Luthmann informed Castorina he had formed the political consulting firm Castorina suggested: Dark Penguin Strategies LLC. Castorina wanted to meet Luthmann.
Luthmann also alerted Castorina that Materna had messaged him about the Fake Facebook site.
Castorina knew Luthmann was behind the Materna Facebook, and Castorina collaborated with him, offering to pay Luthmann for his expertise.
The Castorina-Materna Republican Primary Election for the NYS Assembly took place on September 13, 2016.
Less than one month before, Luthmann reported his fake Facebook posts to Castorina.
The first was a picture of Materna with former NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio, a politician reviled in the Staten Island Assembly District.
The Facebook post stated: “We will have a conversation about Housing Projects on the South Shore. #NYCHATottenville.”
The post sparked backlash and anger in the voter base against Materna – Luthmann and Castorina’s goal.
The second post featured Materna with reviled sex offender Anthony Weiner, stating: “SOLID ON WOMEN’S ISSUES.”
Castorina replied: “lmfao ha ha ha.”
On August 21, 2016, at 6:37 pm, Castorina sent Luthmann a picture of Materna with Obama Attorney General Eric Holder.
At 6:40 pm, three minutes later, the image was posted to the Materna Fake Facebook page with the caption: “BLACK LIVES MATTER #BLM.”
Castorina said, “That’s just hysterical wow.”
On August 30, 2016, two weeks before the primary election, Luthmann sent a message to Castorina.
“I think we have to do a new video,” he said. “Janine Materna is not a democrat. Janine Materna is a cunt.”
“She’s a rotten one at that,” Castorina replied.
Luthmann said, “Janine Materna XXX?” and sent a photoshopped picture of a blonde woman performing a lewd act on a man.
“She will jump in front of a bus,” Luthmann said. Castorina replied: “Lmfaooo omg. Her and Weiner. There’s her pearl necklace she always wears.”
On September 7, 2016, less than a week before the primary election, Luthmann sent Castorina a message saying the hashtag #NYCHATottenville would be trending.
The #NYCHATottenville came from the Materna fake Facebook.
Castorina responded, “Good as it should be!!!!!”
On September 12, 2016, the night before the election, Tina Moore and Carl Campanile of the NY Post broke an article entitled: Fake Facebook page smears state assembly candidate.
At 6:32 pm, Luthmann forwarded the story to Castorina, who replied, “She’s nuts.”
Luthmann said, “She must have missed that whole First Amendment thing in law school.”
The Facebook Messenger conversation, filled with derogatory remarks, exposes a side of Castorina that contrasts with his public image and sworn testimony of professional distance.
In the 2018 Grand jury, the prosecutor hell-bent on sending Castorina’s “friend” Luthmann away asked about communications with Luthmann.
Castorina said Luthmann was crazy, and Luthmann contacted him without receiving encouragement from Castorina:
JUDGE CASTORINA: But any communications that he had with me were unwanted communications, and as an elected official, at times people contact you that probably you don’t want them to, but you have to kind of placate them.
And we have crazy people that contact me. There are people that are just, you know, complainers. There are all kinds of people when you’re in the public eye. They will gravitate to you for whatever reason and they will seek you out.
He was one of those such people, but, in addition to that, he was also an adversary representing people on the other side of certain cases that I had, and in particular –
NELSON: Just don’t —
JUDGE CASTORINA: Yes.
NELSON: Leave it at that.
“Unwanted communications?”
The messages between Judge Castorina and Luthmann show a close, strategizing relationship contrary to Castorina’s statements under oath.
Castorina perjured himself. But no one, least of all Robert H. Tembeckjian, seems to care.
No one in the New York State Justice system sees it as a problem.
Do you? Does this case look “unsubstantiaed,” as Robert H. Tembeckjian believes?
TEMBECKJIAN: POOR JUDGMENT OR CORRUPT ROT?
Luthmann and Castorina’s conversations indicate that their interactions were part of a broader pattern of collaboration and mutual political maneuvering.
That Tembeckjian saw “nothing” is unbelievable. This is the same man that saved David Amaryan from federal prosecutition.
If Ron Castorina is Jerry Sandusky, then Robert Tembeckjian is the other Penn State administrators who spent time in federal prison for looking the other way.
If Castorina is a crook who taints the solemnity of the judiciary, Tembeckian is his aider and abetter.
“I don’t blame Ron for being dirty as much as I blame Tembeckjian for turning a blind eye,” Luthmann said. “Child rape is the apt analogy. When children are getting raped and you ignore it, you go to prison. Since he’s been on the bench, Castorina has legally raped countless entire families – men, women, and children – with twisted and sadistic divorce rulings.”
But Luthmann says if New York State has a functional judicial watchdog, the corruption would not happen.
“Castorina, Eisenpress, Waterman-Marshall, Schauer, Dawson, Engoron, Merchan – the list goes on and on in New York State,” Luthmann said. “As a journalist, I write about family court. Robert Tembeckjian bears the ultimate culpability when a poor protective parent goes to Rikers Island on a contempt charge becuase they can’t pay their legal bills or a child is handed to an abusive but wealthy parent and then further abused.”
The clamoring calls for Tembeckjian’s reckoning grows day by day.
NY JUDICIAL CORRUPTION INC. — INDICT, REMOVE, IMPRISON
The time for oversight has passed. Robert H. Tembeckjian must be federally investigated, indicted, and removed from his position. His communications with Balchug Capital, his failure to disclose foreign entanglements, and his willful suppression of judicial misconduct demand immediate scrutiny.
The Justice Department should subpoena his records. The SEC should reopen its case against Amaryan—and examine Tembeckjian’s role in obstructing justice. Congress should consider whether a federal watchdog is needed to monitor the New York State Judicial Commission.
“This is bigger than one crooked lawyer,” said an Albany official. “This is state-sponsored corruption, financed by foreign money.”
Tembeckjian should be suspended immediately. His assets—especially any tied to Balchug Capital—should be frozen and seized under anti-money laundering statutes.
He must face prison time—not retirement.
If this man continues to police the judges of New York, the rule of law is dead.
Let justice begin with him.
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