A Miami resident is taking legal action against a Pinellas County individual over defamatory Instagram posts. On September 6, 2024, Carlos Messuti filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in and for Pinellas County, Florida, against Jose Perezvillalobos.
The lawsuit centers around several Instagram posts made by Perezvillalobos on August 14, 15, and 16 of 2024. Messuti alleges that these posts contained false and defamatory statements about him. According to the complaint, Perezvillalobos's Instagram account has over 29,000 followers and is not affiliated with any traditional news media. The August 14 video accused Messuti of being involved in corrupt activities with Nayshar Flores, a Chavista who allegedly embezzled millions through contracts with CAVIM. The video also claimed that Messuti was expelled from the USA and had his bank accounts closed due to his connections with the Venezuelan government.
Messuti claims that these allegations are entirely false and have caused significant damage to his reputation and emotional well-being. The videos garnered substantial attention online, with more than 2,150 likes and 220 responses for the first video alone. Subsequent videos posted on August 15 and August 16 continued to spread similar defamatory content, accumulating over 5,000 likes and numerous comments.
In one particularly damaging post on August 16, Perezvillalobos implied that Messuti was involved in illicit financial activities with an officer from Intercredit Bank. He wrote: "None knows if they are boyfriends or simply use the bank to move money from Venezuelans clients." Another post read: "we will not let him live in peace," showcasing clear malice towards Messuti.
Messuti asserts that Perezvillalobos knew or should have known that these statements were false but published them anyway out of negligence or reckless disregard for the truth. The plaintiff states that these actions have led to severe emotional distress for both himself and his family as well as economic losses due to reputational harm.
The complaint further details instances where Perezvillalobos's followers suggested violent actions against Messuti. One user commented about buying bullets before visiting Messuti's office, to which Perezvillalobos responded: "done." These threats have exacerbated the emotional distress experienced by Messuti.
Messuti is seeking damages exceeding $50,000 for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He also requests compensation for attorney’s fees and court costs associated with prosecuting this action.
Representing Carlos Messuti is attorney Raul E. Espinoza from Miami-based law firm Raul E. Espinoza P.L., while the case has been assigned Case Number:24-004013-CI in front of Judge Ken Burke at the Circuit Court of Pinellas County.