WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CN) - The former CEO of a Florida vodka importer claims that other employees plotted get him fired by falsely accusing him of embezzlement. Paul Tucci claims Fine Spirits Imports fired him without cause or notice in 2007 and also fired co-plaintiff Patrick J. Sherry, a marketing agent, because Sherry refused to fabricate embezzlement allegations against Tucci.
Tucci claims that Joseph De Cicco, secretary of Fine Spirits, posed as Fine Spirits' owner and accused Sherry of stealing $10,000 worth of wine and top-shelf alcohol, to intimidate him into complying with their scheme. The criminal theft case against Sherry was dismissed, but De Cicco and Steven Rosenblum, vice president of Fine Spirits, filed a lawsuit that accuses Tucci of diverting corporate funds for personal use, according to the complaint in Westchester County Court.
Tucci and Sherry demand lost wages and damages for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary duty, abuse of process, malicious prosecution, and defamation. They are represented by Steven Gaines with Gaines, Gruner, & Ponzini.
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.
Additional Reads
-
Alaska, Hawaiian Airlines April 17, 2024 -
-
Contributor-Test-Post-2024-04-12 April 12, 2024 -
