Jury Verdicts & Settlements

Latest jury verdicts, settlements, and legal outcome analysis

$685K Verdict in Connecticut Real Estate Fraud Case

After a multi-year legal battle in the Hartford Superior Court, a jury delivered a significant $685,050.00 verdict in favor of Randall Paquette. The dispute originated in 2012 when Paquette entered into an agreement with Gary Thompson to manage and fund various real estate holdings, including several LLCs and a residence in Rocky Hill. Paquette alleged that despite his years of labor and a $50,000 contribution toward Thompson’s home, Thompson refused to transfer the titles as promised. While the defense argued the claims were time-barred and that payments were merely for rent, the jury found Thompson’s actions constituted unjust enrichment. Crucially, the jury also determined that the transfer of a Rocky Hill property was fraudulent, leaving the final equitable remedy to the Court's discretion.

Fraud

Jury Awards $15M in Massive Military Logistics Fraud Case

In a landmark whistleblower victory, a South Carolina jury held Fluor Corporation and its subsidiary liable for systemic fraud against the United States government. Former military officers Charles Shepherd and Danny Rude exposed a scheme where the defense contractor allegedly billed for unauthorized maintenance at Bagram Air Base and falsified inventory records to secure massive performance bonuses. Operating under a $7 billion contract in war-torn Afghanistan, Fluor reportedly maintained "ghost" records to hide the loss of government property. The legal battle culminated in a $15 million damages award, highlighting the accountability of private contractors managing essential military logistics in combat zones.

Breach of Contract

High-Stakes Tequila Fraud Ends in $12 Million Jury Verdict

What began as a sophisticated partnership to launch a luxury tequila brand in the American market ended in a massive legal showdown over international crime and corporate betrayal. Blue Agave Imports, LLC, led by industry veterans from the Reyes family, alleged they were lured into a business deal by Jonathan Alexis Weinberg Pinto under false pretenses. While the plaintiffs worked to build the "Tequila Revolución" brand into a household name, they remained unaware that the business was allegedly a front for laundering millions of dollars stolen from the Mexican government. The legal battle exposed a web of deceit involving high-level political corruption and offshore accounts, culminating in a Miami-Dade jury holding Weinberg Pinto personally responsible for the financial ruin and reputational damage suffered by his business partners.

Fraud

Fróes v. ROC Funding: $1.5M Verdict for Predatory Lending

In a significant victory for small business owners, a California jury awarded Stella Ferreira Fróes, owner of Pikanhas Restaurant Group, over $1.5 million in damages against ROC Funding Group, LLC. The case (MSC21-01827) centered on a "loan consolidation" agreement that carried a hidden 69.9% interest rate. Despite Fróes’s compliance, ROC utilized a "Judgment by Confession" in New York to freeze her accounts and shutter her operations. The jury found ROC liable for usury and abuse of process, awarding $1.125 million in punitive damages to penalize the company's malicious and fraudulent conduct.

Fraud

Jury Sides with Nephew in Miami Home Ownership Dispute

A Miami-Dade jury found in favour of the defendant in a high-stakes family property dispute. Bryant, a 72-year-old widow with significant health and vision issues, had accused her nephew of exploiting her vulnerability to wrongfully take her home through a Quit Claim Deed. She claimed he manipulated her into signing over the house, refinanced it without her knowledge, and later charged her rent. Whitehead argued he had rescued the home from foreclosure and that Bryant had voluntarily transferred ownership in return. After hearing both sides, the jury rejected all six of Bryant’s claims, including elder exploitation and unjust enrichment. The court upheld the deed and left ownership of the property with Whitehead, ruling that while he benefited from the transfer, it had not been unjust.

Fraud

Jury Backs Insurer in Miami UM Coverage Fraud Dispute

In Deborah Gomez et al. v. Tammy Insurance Agency, Inc. et al., Plaintiffs alleged that insurance agents forged UM rejection forms, depriving them of coverage needed after a 2021 crash. Gomez claimed she and her daughter suffered severe injuries and should have received UM benefits from Progressive. The defense relied on signed rejection forms from 2008 and 2010, arguing they were valid and binding. After trial, the jury found in favor of the Defendants, ruling no fraud or forgery occurred, leaving Gomez without the additional coverage she sought.

Fraud

Court Awards $3.19M in Oil Lease Fraud Case

Fraud

Court Dismisses Sarkissian Dairy Business Lawsuit

Serpouhie and Jirair Sarkissian sued longtime associates over alleged financial misconduct involving Karoun Dairies and Central Valley Cheese Co. The Los Angeles County Superior Court found the claims derivative and dismissed the case with prejudice. It excluded the plaintiffs’ damages expert, awarded defendants $108,942.64 in costs, and granted Antranik Baghdassarian $1,521,200 in attorney’s fees, naming the defendants prevailing parties.

Fraud

$14.5M Verdict in Abuse and Fraud Case Against De Matos

Mireya Cambero sued Jose De Matos for years of domestic abuse, emotional trauma, and fraudulent transfers designed to shield assets from liability. The jury awarded $14.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages, finding De Matos and corporate entities liable for battery, false imprisonment, and a conspiracy to conceal assets. The verdict included $6.5 million in fraudulent transfer damages and $5 million for the conspiracy to evade legal responsibility.