Yorktown Sports Fields Owner Charged with Defrauding Clients
The owner of the Navajo Fields sports complex in Jefferson Valley was indicted Tuesday on 13 counts related to defrauding clients when he was an attorney.
Charles (C.J.) Diven, Jr., 47, of Theresa Drive, Yorktown, pled not guilty to three counts of grand larceny in the second degree, six counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, three counts of criminal tax fraud in the third degree and one count of scheme to defraud.
According to Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore, between April 2004 and December 2011, Diven, who was disbarred as an attorney, defrauded two different clients.
In 2005, one victim retained Diven to represent her in divorce proceedings. As the case progressed in 2008, in furtherance of a scheme to defraud the victim, Diven allegedly directed her to provide him with $243,000 to demonstrate that she had the financial capacity to purchase her ex-husband’s share of the marital home. The funds were supposed to be maintained in his attorney trust account.
Instead of doing that, Diven allegedly used the money to pay personal and/or business expenses without the knowledge or consent of his client.
Meanwhile, between April 2004 and July 2009, Diven allegedly defrauded a second client of more than $171,000. In that case, Diven was retained to settle the victim’s interest in his deceased father’s estate. Instead, he allegedly used the money for his own personal use.
Diven, who posted $5,000 bail, could face a maximum of 15 years in state prison if convicted. He is scheduled to return to court August 27.
On Monday night, Diven withdrew an application before the Yorktown Planning Board to install a sports dome at Navajo Fields after it had been reviewed by town officials for several months and was hung up by several requirements that Diven failed to satisfy.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
