On Thursday, Jun2 22, 2023, the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel filed a complaint against attorney Walter Charles Boyuk before the Board of Professional Conduct of the Supreme Court of Ohio for involuntary manslaughter with a firearm and tampering with evidence.
The case is entitled “Disciplinary Counsel v. Walter Charles Boyuk, Esq.” with case no. 2023-016.
The charges cited Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct 8.4(b), 8.4(c), 8.4(d), and 8.4(h) which states:
Commit an illegal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty or trustworthiness.
Engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.
Engage in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
Engage in any other conduct that adversely reflects on the lawyer’s fitness to practice law.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, the Supreme Court of Ohio ordered the suspension of the respondent from the practice of law for an interim period over a felony conviction. The temporary suspension was implemented in accordance with Ohio Gov Bar Rule V(18). On March 20, 2023, the director of the Board of Professional Conduct submitted a certified copy of a judgment entry indicating the respondent’s felony conviction to the court.
As stated in the notice of felony conviction, Buyok was found guilty in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas on March 13, 2023. The charges included involuntary manslaughter with a firearm specification and tampering with evidence. Following his conviction, Buyok was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison for the fatal shooting of his wife in 2020 at Griggs Reservoir Park on the Northwest Side of the city. A local news report revealed that Buyok staged the scene to resemble a robbery.
The complaint and certificate states:
“On October 22, 2020, police responded to a report of a female slumped over in her vehicle at Griggs Reservoir. Police identified the victim as the respondent’s wife, Kathleen Boyuk. Kathleen had been shot three times. Kathleen was transported to Riverside Hospital and pronounced dead. The police determined that the respondent had begun calling family members to tell them that Kathleen had been killed in a robbery before contacting 911 to report her missing. The police then went to the Boyuk residence and questioned the respondent about his involvement in the shooting. The police informed the respondent that they could track Kathleen’s cell phone to determine whether it had been at the crime scene.”
The complaint and certificate continue:
“On January 22, 2020, the court imposed a $500,000 cash/surety bond with house arrest and GPS monitoring. The respondent posted the $500,000 bond and was released on January 29, 2020. The bond prohibited the respondent from contacting any witnesses in the case. Respondent violated his house arrest on or before March 1 8, 2021, when he left his house to talk to a potential witness in the case.”
In lieu of these facts, the Disciplinary Counsel is seeking a determination of Buyok’s breach of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct and corresponding sanctions.
The request states:
“Relator requests that respondent be found in violation of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct and be sanctioned accordingly.”
Mr. Boyuk attended the Michael E. Moritz College of Law. He practices in Columbus, Ohio. He is licensed in Ohio. His info can be found on lawyer.com.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
