Zeki Donuk, Tax Evasion, New Jersey 2023

Construction company operator Zeki Donuk faces serious charges after allegedly cashing checks instead of depositing them into business bank accounts.

A federal grand jury in Newark unsealed an indictment on [no date provided] charging Zeki Donuk, of Landing, with tax evasion, employment tax crimes, aiding the filing of false tax returns, and making false statements in bankruptcy.

According to the indictment, Donuk operated a construction business first under the name Titan Builders LLC and later as Titan Steel Construction LLC. From at least 2016 through 2019, Donuk allegedly concealed the cashed checks and did not report them either as gross receipts on Titan’s corporate tax returns, or as income on his or his wife’s personal returns.

The indictment charged that in 2019, Donuk allegedly made false statements on documents he filed in a personal bankruptcy case. Specifically, Donuk allegedly 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.

If convicted, Donuk faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count of tax evasion, employment tax violations, and bankruptcy fraud charges and a maximum penalty of three years in prison on each of the counts of aiding or assisting the filing of false tax returns.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Zeki Donuk, 71, of Landing, New Jersey, is charged with 10 counts of tax evasion, employment tax crimes, aiding the filing of false tax returns, and making false statements in bankruptcy.

Defendant: Zeki Donuk

Criminal Charges: Tax evasion, employment tax crimes, aiding the filing of false tax returns, and making false statements in bankruptcy

City and State: Newark, New Jersey

Exact Date: [no date provided]

Sentence or Outcome: pending

Companies involved: Titan Builders LLC, Titan Steel Construction LLC

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/new-jersey-construction-company-operator-indicted-tax-crimes-and-bankruptcy-fraud