Ohio Supreme Court Permanently Disbars Attorney for Stealing More Than $225,000 From a Probate Estate

Published Nov. 6, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

Serving as a probate estate administrator means holding other people's money under court supervision. On June 4, 2026, the Supreme Court of Ohio permanently disbarred Nathan Todd Harvey, of Bidwell, Ohio (Attorney Registration No. 0102446), for misconduct that included misappropriating more than $225,000 from a probate estate [1].

Status: Harvey is permanently disbarred from practicing law in Ohio. The court decided Disciplinary Counsel v. Harvey, Slip Opinion No. 2026-Ohio-2047 (No. 2025-0207), on a certified report of the Board of Professional Conduct (No. 2024-013) [1]. An interim felony suspension imposed Sept. 26, 2024, after his conviction on one count of theft by deception (a third-degree felony), had remained in effect until the permanent disbarment [1].

What the court found

According to the Supreme Court of Ohio's opinion [1]:

1. Harvey was admitted to practice in Ohio in 2022. Before and during law school he worked at the Britt T. Wiseman Law Office.
2. After Jason H. Sheppard Jr. died intestate in March 2020, Harvey was appointed fiduciary to administer the Gallia County estate. On Aug. 20, 2020, he opened an estate checking account and deposited estate funds, including a $230,022.62 deposit five days later, then immediately began using the account to autopay personal utility bills.
3. He later wrote checks to himself labeled as attorney, executor, or fiduciary fees that were neither earned nor court-approved. The theft underlying his criminal conviction exceeded $225,000.
4. He failed to disclose the theft on bar-admission character questionnaires while the misconduct was ongoing.
5. The court adopted the board's findings of misconduct but rejected an indefinite suspension, holding that permanent disbarment was the only appropriate sanction given the aggravating factors, including dishonest motive, a pattern of misconduct, false statements in the disciplinary process, failure to acknowledge the wrongful nature of the conduct, and failure to make full restitution.

The person disbarred

Nathan Todd Harvey, Bidwell, Ohio. Permanently disbarred June 4, 2026 (Disciplinary Counsel v. Harvey, 2026-Ohio-2047). Previously convicted of theft by deception; interim felony suspension Sept. 26, 2024 [1].

Red flags in probate administration

These are general warning signs, not claims about any heir in this case.

• An estate account used to pay the administrator's personal bills.
• "Fees" taken from an estate without a court order.
• An administrator who will not produce bank statements for the estate account.

What to do

• Ask the probate court for an accounting and consider seeking removal of a fiduciary.
• Report suspected theft to local law enforcement and your state disciplinary counsel.
• In Ohio, contact the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Respondent	Court	Status	Source
Nathan Todd Harvey, Bidwell, Ohio (Atty. Reg. No. 0102446)	Supreme Court of Ohio, No. 2025-0207; Board No. 2024-013	Permanently disbarred June 4, 2026 (2026-Ohio-2047); prior interim felony suspension Sept. 26, 2024 after theft-by-deception conviction	[1]

Disciplinary and criminal statuses can change through further court action.

Sources

1. Supreme Court of Ohio, Disciplinary Counsel v. Harvey, Slip Opinion No. 2026-Ohio-2047 (decided June 4, 2026). https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2026/2026-Ohio-2047.pdf