Ravenna CPA Charged with Embezzling More Than $1 Million from Employer and Submitting False Tax Returns

CLEVELAND  –  Michael Harman, 45, of Ravenna, Ohio, was charged today in a six-count Bill of Information with devising a scheme to defraud his employer out of more than $1 million, money laundering, and submitting false tax returns to the IRS.

According to court documents, the defendant was a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and was employed as a controller within his company.  As a controller, some of the defendant’s responsibilities included processing payroll adjustments.

Court documents state that from 2016 to August 2020, the defendant devised a scheme to embezzle more than $1 million from his employer and used the funds for personal use, including child support payments in the State of New York and moving expenses.  The defendant is accused of executing the scheme by using a series of unauthorized wire transfers, fictitious checks, and fraudulent charges on his employer’s credit cards. 

In addition, the defendant is charged with failing to report income earned from the scheme on his tax returns for the tax years 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

This case was investigated by the Cleveland FBI, Akron Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation (CI).  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Aaron P. Howell.