Florida Man Who "Makes Six Figures Suing Restaurants" Arrested For Extortion
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| Credit: St. Lucie County Jail |
PORT SAINT LUCIE, Florida - A Florida man who purportedly makes six-figures suing restaurants in South Florida was arrested for allegedly extorting a bar in Port Saint Lucie, Florida.
Police say that the investigation began on January 29, 2024, when Kyle Greene, owner of Kyle G’s Oyster Wine Bar, contacted the Port St. Lucie Police Department alleging that Edward Manuel Santana of Port St. Lucie, Florida was attempting to extort his business.
The investigation revealed that a couple of months prior, Mr. Santana ate at Kyle G’s Oyster and Wine Bar restaurant. Mr. Santana was alleged to have been difficult, rude, and confrontational to team members and guests.
Then, on January 8, 2024, Mr. Santana returned to the restaurant and was alleged again to have been ill-mannered and rude to the bartender and was disturbing the peace of the restaurant. The on-duty manager asked Mr. Santana to leave and explained to him that he was no longer welcome at the restaurant.
Both incidents were reported by management to Mr. Greene, and he thought the issue was resolved since Mr. Santana never returned.
But a few weeks later, Mr. Santana began calling and emailing the restaurant and Mr. Greene directly.
Mr. Santana was demanding that he be paid $3,000 or that he would file a lawsuit against Mr. Greene for $65,000 for refusing to hire him as a host back in 2023 based on his age, gender/sex, and ethnicity (Latino/Hispanic) and for refusing him service based on his ethnicity.
Mr. Greene alleged that Mr. Santana never applied for a any such job and denied that Mr. Santana was unwelcome based on his ethnicity.
In one of the emails from Mr. Santana to Mr. Greene, the email read:
“Now you probably know that I`ve sued approximately 100 restaurants and got paid for every single one of them with the exception of Ruth`s Chris Steakhouse in Coral Gables, FL and I took it all the way to a five (5) day trial. Guess what? I lost the trial only because I was convicted of theft back in 2007. This Trial was in January 2011. But Ruth`s Chris Steakhouse spent $100,000.00 in Attorney Fees over a 1.5-year period and $20,000.00 in Attorney COSTS. Ruth`s Chris has tried to garnish my wages, bank accounts and car but I don't own a car nor drive, I don`t have a bank account and I don't work as I live with my family for FREE and get Food Stamps ($300.00) as I`m INDIGENT (which means poor as your grammar and vocabulary is not as eloquent as mine). That means when I file both of my Lawsuits, I will be saving $800.00 on the filing fees, sheriff and U.S. Marshall. So, it doesn`t cost me a penny to pursue these lawsuits against your snarky @#$%. Now I KNOW at some point you WILL be paying me for Discrimination, Slander and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress. I'll make sure I attach your email you just sent me just a bit ago to my two (2) lawsuits as you've met your match and I'm not the one to be messing with as you got it all twisted. Finally, I will be going to your restaurant very soon and I will tell call the police and tell them that Kyle G`s restaurant, managers and owners have banned me due to Discrimination based on my Ethnicity and I'll tell them to look how most or all of your front of the house employees (servers, bartenders and greeters) are either white or black with NO Latino/Hispanic Servers, Hostesses and Bartenders YOU RACIST CHEAP @#%%. FYI, I will be filing a separate lawsuit against Kristen Acosta in Circuit Court (a/k/a). I'll await your Kind and Educated (unlike your ignorant and rude @#$%) attorney`s phone call or email by this Wednesday January 31, 2024, at 5 pm (ET). I hope you all the best you THIEF (a/k/a wage theft) and RACIST. Kind Regards, Eddie Santana.”
Police conducted an internet search of “Eddie Santana Makes Six Figures by Suing Restaurants from the Inside” that returned a New Times news article alleging that Mr. Santana has attempted or succeeded in similar acts throughout south Florida.
On February 9, 2024, the Port St. Lucie Police Department served an arrest warrant and charged the 52-year-old Florida man with one felony count of Extortion.
PSLPD is asking that any other restaurants or businesses in Port St. Lucie that may have been a victim of Mr. Santana to please contact the Port St. Lucie Police Department at 772-871-5001
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