MIAMI — Two casino operators are suing Santiago A. Cueto and Cueto Law Group PL, a publisher, for alleged defamation after a news article suggested their business may have been involved in a counterfeit money laundering scheme.
John Wallis and Sherry Persad filed a lawsuit on March 17 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleging that the defendants breached their duties of good faith and fair dealing.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that their business and reputation were harmed after being accused of heading an alleged counterfeit money laundering scheme. The article that made the accusations, titled “Casino Operators Sued for Fraud Over Scheme to Cover $1M Gambling Equipment Debt,” was published on Feb. 8, 2017. The plaintiffs hold the defendants responsible for allegedly fabricating the article with the intent of harming the plaintiffs and refused to remove or retract the false information.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek judgment against the defendants for compensatory and actual damages in excess of $10 million, punitive damages in excess of $2 million and other relief the court may deem just. They are represented by Eric W. Neilsen of Neilsen Law Group PA in St. Petersburg.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida case number 17-cv-21014