Chardon attorney faces tax charges after embezzling $160,000

A Chardon man was charged with filing false tax returns after embezzling nearly $161,000 from estates he managed, law enforcement officials said.

Donald A. Navastyk, 64, was a licensed attorney from 1980 through 2016, serving as a probate lawyer who served as an executor and administrator of estates established by wills and trusts. In the 2008 tax year, Navastyk diverted money from estates he managed as an executor and put the money in his personal bank account for his own personal use, according to the one-count information.

In filing his 2008 tax return, Navatsyk failed to claim approximately $160,975 as income, resulting in a tax due and owing approximately $35,690, according to the information.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Patton and Suzana Koch following an investigation by the IRS.

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.