Principle Industrial Services, LLC and its affiliated companies have taken legal action against a former IT service provider, accusing them of withholding crucial digital assets. The complaint was filed by Principle Industrial Services, LLC along with Pappas Real Estate, LLC, Pappas Civil Contractors, LLC, and Pappas Shipping, LLC in the Circuit Court for the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida on November 14, 2024. The defendants named in the lawsuit are N.A.C.K., LLC and Nicholas J Kopteros.
The plaintiffs allege that the defendants provided IT services to their businesses but failed to return essential administrative credentials after their contract was terminated on April 1, 2024. These credentials include access to GoDaddy domains and Google Workspace accounts necessary for business operations. As a result of this alleged misconduct, Principle Industrial Services claims they are unable to access vital resources such as emails and Google Drive files which are critical for ongoing business activities and legal obligations. This has reportedly caused significant disruptions including an inability to produce discovery documents for a pending federal lawsuit.
The plaintiffs argue that they had fully paid for the services rendered by N.A.C.K., LLC and Kopteros, which included domain creation and Google Workspace setup. Despite this payment, the defendants allegedly refused to relinquish control over these digital assets. The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of conversion—wrongfully exercising control over someone else's property—and unjust enrichment by retaining benefits without compensation or legal justification.
In their complaint, the plaintiffs seek several forms of relief from the court. They request an order mandating the immediate return of their intellectual property and administrative credentials. Additionally, they seek both temporary and permanent injunctions preventing the defendants from continuing to withhold these assets. Furthermore, they demand damages exceeding $50,000 along with coverage of court costs and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Principle Industrial Services and its affiliates are attorneys Jonathan B. Sbar and Andrea Holder from Rocke McLean & Sbar P.A., based in Tampa, Florida. The case is presided over by judges within the Sixth Judicial Circuit under Case Number 24-005026-CI.