12-Count Fraud Indictment For Morris County Business Owner: Feds

ROXBURY TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Morris County man who ran a construction business was indicted Thursday on 12 counts involving fraudulent practices, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Zeki Donuk concealed checks made payable to his company, instead cashing them and failing to report them to tax officials, authorities said.

Donuk, of Landing, operated Titan Builders LLC — later called Titan Steel Construction LLC — according to the indictment. From at least 2016-19, Donuk cashed checks payable to Titan instead of depositing them into business bank accounts, the DOJ says.

The suspect failed to report the checks on Titan’s corporate tax returns or as income on his or his wife’s personal returns, according to authorities. He also made false statements during bankruptcy proceedings, according to court documents.

The man was charged by indictment with three counts of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns; two counts of tax evasion; five counts of failure to collect, truthfully account for and pay over trust fund taxes; and two counts of making false statements in bankruptcy proceedings.

From the third quarter of 2016 to the same quarter in 2017, Donuk didn't pay employment taxes on behalf of Titan's employees, authorities said. During those quarters, Donuk failed to file quarterly employment tax returns on the business's behalf, according to the indictment.

In 2019, Donuk made false statements on documents he filed in a personal bankruptcy case, the DOJ said. The Morris County resident concealed from the bankruptcy court that he owned a vacation property in Pennsylvania, had signatory authority over certain bank accounts, owed tax debts to the IRS, and operated his construction business as Titan Builders and Titan Steel, according to court documents.

Each count carries the following maximum penalties for anyone convicted:

• aiding or assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns: three years in prison and a $250,000 fine
• tax evasion: five years in prison and a $250,000 fine
• failure to collect, truthfully account for and pay over trust fund taxes: five years in prison and a $250,000 fine
• making false statements in bankruptcy proceedings: five years in prison and a $250,000 fine