Miami mayor reacts after federal court orders seizure of Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo’s assets

MIAMI – The U.S. Marshal’s Office has been ordered by a federal court to seize $63,500 in assets from Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, according to court records.

In a writ of execution filed Tuesday, the United States District Court ordered marshals to seize Carollo’s cash, goods and land.

The seized cash and property will be used to satisfy a federal civil judgment.

Last November, a federal court ordered the city to garnish the commissioner’s wages after he allegedly violated the First Amendment rights of two local businessmen who accused him of trying to destroy their businesses as political retaliation.

Carollo was accused of orchestrating a vendetta against William Fuller and Martin Pinilla, the operators of a string of businesses along the Little Havana business corridor that includes the iconic Ball & Chain nightclub, because they supported a rival candidate for political office.

Jurors in the civil trial ordered Carollo to pay $63.5 million in total to the men as a result of the verdict.

According to court records, a judge ordered Carollo to pay $34.3 million with interest to Fuller and $29.2 million with interest to Pinilla.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who was attending a Miami police news conference on lower homicide rates in the community, told Local 10 News that he spoke to Carollo Wednesday morning.

“I spoke to him (Carollo) this morning. There was no one at his house. I heard some reports on social media that there was some law enforcement action at his house, but he confirmed to me that there weren’t,” he said.

Suarez also said that he expects Carollo to attend Thursday’s city commission meeting.

Local 10 News has reached out to Carollo’s office for comment but have not received a response.