Attorney Isabel V. Del Vecchio Wins Decision for Danielle Kolashuk in Complicated Case Involving Family Dispute and Superior Auto Center of Norwich

Attorney Laura A. Raymond Assisted with the Defense

On July 17, 2018, an arrest warrant was signed against Danielle Kolashuk stemming from a complaint by her father, Ronald Daigneault, alleging that she embezzled over six hundred fourteen thousand ($614,000.00) from Superior Auto Center of Norwich.  A week later, her father sued her civilly for the same claimed losses.  After initially retaining other counsel for representation, Ms. Kolashuk retained Susiman Shapiro to represent her in both matters, which were both pending in the Judicial District of New London.

On February 15, 2024, the criminal charges against Ms. Kolashuk were dropped, ending the nearly six year legal battle. The criminal charges were not pursued by the State of Connecticut following a scathing decision entered in the civil case on December 21, 2023 in favor of Ms. Kolashuk on all counts.

Ms. Kolashuk , co-owner of Superior Auto Center of Norwich, was exonerated of all claims levelled against her by her father, Mr. Daigneault, in the civil division of the New London Superior Court.  The lengthy complaint included allegations of statutory theft, conversion, forgery, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent concealment, non-payment of towing and storage fees, and other unsubstantiated allegations relating to the jointly owned business and family matters.  The two parties jointly owned and operated Superior Auto in Norwich, Connecticut for decades until a falling out occurred over Mr. Daigneault’s extramarital affair.  Mr. Daigneault also sought to terminate and remove his daughter and her husband Michael Kolashuk as trustee and successor trustee respectively of the Daigneault Family Irrevocable Trust.  Ms. Kolashuk vehemently denied all allegations against her.

After approximately eight days of trial testimony over the span of several months, the Honorable Steven D. Jacobs of New London Superior Court, in a lengthy decision, addressed each count of Mr. Daigneault’s complaint and, emphatically, found Ronald Daigneault’s claims were not credible.  His decision states, “the evidence indicates that they were every bit a team…until Danielle outed her father’s infidelity.” Mr. Daigneault appealed the civil case decision, but Suisman Shapiro is confident that the Court correctly applied the law to the facts of this case, and that its decision will be upheld.

“I truly believe in justice which is why I chose this career,” said Attorney Isabel Del Vecchio. “I was proud to represent Danielle Kolashuk and see that justice was served in this case,” she added.

Attorney Michael A. Blanchard represented Ms. Kolashuk in the criminal case. Attorney Isabel Del Vecchio represented Ms. Kolashuk in the civil case and Attorney Laura Raymond assisted with the civil defense.