‘Not a soap opera.’ A-Rod must face former brother-in-law’s claims in $50 million suit
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Alex Rodriguez could face 30 years if convicted, but this civil lawsuit is not criminal in nature. If the former baseball player were ever to face a criminal investigation over his ex brother in law’s civil racketeering and embezzlement claims, he could face a maximum of 30 years in jail. Currently, Rodriguez only faces money damages.
Alex Rodriguez’s seemingly never-ending beef with his former brother-in-law has taken an even nastier turn.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman ruled last Thursday that the retired baseball player is going to have to address allegations of racketeering and embezzlement newly made against him by Constantine Scurtis.
In an amended complaint to a $50 million suit filed in January, Scurtis, whose sister is A-Rod’s ex wife, accused Rodriguez of criminal activity while they were running a $1 billion real estate business together.
In a blow to the “Shark Tank” star, the judge denied his motion to have Scurtis’ claims dismissed, but did add that “no further amendments will be permitted.”
Rodriguez was married to Cynthia Scurtis from 2002 to 2008. The two split amid rumors of his cheating with Madonna, among others. The ex-slugger has gone on to date such A-listers as Cameron Diaz and Kate Hudson, and is engaged to Jennifer Lopez.
“The new pleading we have filed on Constantine Scurtis’s behalf explains how Alex Rodriguez, formerly a professional baseball player and Mr. Scurtis’s brother-in-law, first cheated on his wife and then cheated Mr. Scurtis out of the proceeds from their wildly profitable real estate venture,” said Scurtis lawyer Nate Holcomb in the suit.
In court papers reviewed by the Miami Herald, Hanzman says that the former relative’s accusations about A-Rod, 45, being a “cheater” are not germane to the case.
“These allegations of alleged marital infidelities are wholly irrelevant to the question of whether Mr. Scurtis has been wrongfully cut out of the real estate venture(s) formed between himself and Mr Rodriguez. In sum, these scandalous and sensationalized allegations are irrelevant to the issues pled in this commercial dispute. This case will not devolve into a soap opera.”
A refresher on the internecine mess: Back in 2002, the former New York Yankee put up 95 percent of the capital to launch a real estate business, whose operating arm was known as Newport Property Ventures Ltd.. His wife’s brother Scurtis took on the other 5 percent, plus a 3 percent acquisition fee on properties.
But Scurtis’ suit claims that in 2005, Rodriguez had him defer those fees so that Newport’s money could remain liquid, causing the plaintiff to lose out on millions. The Miami native, who is the co-founder of Lynd Acquisition Group, also alleges that Rodriguez took his name off some of the individual LLCs and he was “fraudulently shoved out.”
“Mr. Rodriguez will face a jury on August 2, 2021, to answer claims that he and his co-conspirators engaged in a pattern of racketeering and embezzlement,” Scurtis’ attorney Katherine Eskovitz said in a statement to media.
In addition to this most current suit, Scurtis has filed several unsuccessful ones against Rodriguez over the years. The athlete’s lawyers say his kids’ uncle is trying to damage his reputation and this latest one is “intended to harass” and “publicly humiliate, impugn, and disparage Mr. Rodriguez and others.”
The Westminster Christian alum has yet to comment on the matter, but on Instagram Monday he posted an inspirational message about his career that hinted at his latest legal troubles, using the game of ping-pong as a metaphor.
“No matter how good you think you are, there’s always someone else on the other side of the table trying to prove they’re just as good, or better,” he said. “Even when you take your best shot, you always need to be prepared for what’s next.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 12:31 PM.
