MIAMI - The Miami Herald was hit with a lawsuit on Feb. 12 by a New York woman who says she was defamed by the publication's coverage of a multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud scheme, according to documents filed in Miami federal court.
The plaintiff, Tina Marie Barbuto, a former licensed mental health counselor for the sober home where the scheme was conducted, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in 2018, a crime that she says she was manipulated into participating in due to her mental illness and diminished mental capacity.
Barbuto says she did not make any money off of the scheme, while other participants gained hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars' worth from the conspiracy.
Despite these facts that the suit describes as publicly known and easily attainable, the Herald described Barbuto as "one of the masterminds" in the scheme, in articles covering the crime, she says.
The suit states that Barbuto "suffered from a significantly reduced mental capacity," making her susceptible to manipulation by the others found guilty in the scheme; the suit also says she gained nothing but her normal salary in the crime.
Barbuto is suing the Herald for one count of defamation by implication, stating that the articles published by the news source caused her to endure public hate, disgrace, contempt and ridicule.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory and punitive damages of at least $500,000. She is represented by Neil Solomon of McLaughlin and Stern in New York City and West Palm Beach.