U.S. Marshals begin process to seize Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo’s assets – NBC 6 South Florida
U.S. Marshals began the process Friday to seize the assets of Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo to enforce the more than $63 million court judgment against him from last year.
A representative of the U.S. Marshals was seen posting multiple notices on the front of Carollo’s home Friday, including a “Notice of U.S. Marshal Levy.”
An attorney who represents Carollo arrived at the home and said he’s trying to appeal, claiming the house is the marital property of Carollo and his wife.
“This is marital property and it’s not appropriate for Marjory and Joe to have any of their property touched,” the attorney said.
In a writ of execution filed last month, the United States District Court ordered the marshal of the Southern District of Florida to seize Carollo’s cash, goods and land.
A federal court has ordered the City of Miami to garnish the wages of Commissioner Joe Carollo, months after two businessmen won a $63 million civil lawsuit against him. NBC6’s Steve Litz reports
Carollo was found liable in June in a federal civil lawsuit brought by two businessmen who accused him of trying to destroy their businesses as political retaliation.
The jury found Carollo violated the plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights and awarded them more than $63 million.
Bill Fuller, the owner of the Ball and Chain restaurant and club in Little Havana, and fellow businessman Martin Pinilla claimed Carollo weaponized the city’s police and code enforcement departments to shut down several of their businesses in Little Havana because they supported his political opponent.
In November, a federal court ordered the city of Miami to garnish the commissioner’s wages.
Carollo has vowed to fight the asset seizure.
“If blood is what they want from me, I will gladly give them both my arms so they can choose the one they prefer and draw my blood,” Carollo said in a statement in Spanish last month. “But if you prefer to put me in front of a firing squad, let me know which wall in Miami you want to execute it on.”
