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Moving from one state to another turned into extortion when the moving company demanded $5,200 before it would unload someone’s furniture, according to investigators in eastern North Carolina.
It happened Thursday in Craven County, and the victim called law enforcement rather than pay the money, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office said.
The suspect arrested in the case has been linked to a similar “scam” reported in Raleigh, officials said.
“The victim stated they hired a company to move their furniture to Craven County, and the company was withholding their property until they paid additional money to have the furniture unloaded,” the sheriff’s office said in a July 17 news release.
“On July 16, 2026, the Criminal Investigation Bureau was at the victim’s house when the suspect arrived and took him into custody.”
Moshe Yzhari, 70, of Miami, Florida, is charged with felony extortion, felony conspiracy to obtain property by false pretense, felony larceny, and felony exploitation of an elderly or disabled person, the sheriff’s office said.
“Investigators also learned that Moshe Yzhari was involved in a similar scam in Raleigh, N.C. on July 15, 2026. Both of these cases originated from Ohio,” officials said.
Court records report Yzhari threatened to keep the woman’s belongings – valued at $20,000 – until he was paid the $5,200.
Yzhari’s bond was set at $250,000, officials said. Jail records indicate he has been released.
Craven County is about a 115-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.
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