A former New York City judge has been charged with securities fraud and related offenses for allegedly swindling real estate investors out of at least $5 million, federal prosecutors announced.

The former judge, who resigned from the bench last year while under investigation for professional misconduct, is accused of abusing his judicial position to gain investors' trust and defraud them through real estate investment schemes.

According to the charges, the defendant used some of the stolen funds for personal expenses after convincing investors to put money into purported real estate opportunities. Prosecutors allege he leveraged his status as a sitting judge to lend credibility to his investment pitches.

The case represents the latest in a series of fraud prosecutions targeting individuals who exploit positions of trust to commit financial crimes. The defendant had served on the New York City bench before resigning amid the professional misconduct investigation.

Federal authorities have not disclosed the full scope of potential victims or whether additional charges may be forthcoming. The investigation appears to have begun while the defendant was still serving as a judge, ultimately leading to his resignation from the judiciary.