Many years ago, in early November, after returning from Miami on November 2nd, I arrived at my property, Pierce Eco Resort, and found police officers and detectives waiting for me. When I got out of my truck, they told me I was under investigation for stealing cable.

I explained that I owned the park and that there was no cable being stolen. Previously, the park had service through a company called Store Cable, which had installed its own separate line. I had not personally installed or altered any cable lines.

At the time, I was also operating a program where I helped homeless veterans. I had about five veterans living on the property. I provided them with temporary housing, food (about $75 per week), and work opportunities. I have over 40 years of experience in rehabilitation work, and I would also employ them through my safe-moving company in Miami at about $15 per hour. The veterans helped maintain the park, which was still partially under construction. Of the approximately 12 buildings on the property, only a few were occupied, and several had no electricity at all.

The officers insisted I was stealing cable service, now claiming that Bright House Networks owned the service. They told me that unless I paid $250 immediately, I would be arrested and charged with multiple felonies—up to 12 counts, one for each building. I questioned how I could be charged for all buildings when many were unoccupied or without electricity.

They showed me cable lines running across the ground between buildings and claimed this was evidence of theft. I pointed out that the lines were exposed and improperly laid, making normal maintenance like mowing difficult, and that I had not installed them.

When I refused to pay or admit guilt, I was arrested. One officer told me he would “do me a favor” by reducing the charges from 12 felonies to 4. I was taken to jail and later released on bond.

After my arrest, I wrote a formal complaint the following Monday and submitted it to the State Attorney’s Office, requesting a full investigation into the officers’ conduct. I described how they demanded payment under threat of arrest and expressed concern that this was a potential scam or abuse of authority. Despite this, no investigation was conducted.

Months later, I received a demand from Bright House Networks claiming I owed approximately $12,000 for cable service, which I disputed and did not pay.

I waited approximately 7–9 months for trial. Initially, I was advised by an attorney to use a public defender because the case did not appear to involve a commercial violation. However, the public defender later encouraged me to plead guilty and attend classes, which I refused because I believed I was innocent.

I then retained a private attorney who had previously told me the charges could likely be dismissed because the law did not apply to my situation. However, at trial, my attorney did not present any witnesses or evidence in my defense. This included failing to call witnesses who could testify about the condition of the property, the lack of electricity in many buildings, and the pre-existing cable setup.

Additionally, one of the arresting officers had been terminated from the police department prior to trial, and the other had reportedly been demoted. Despite this, these issues were not meaningfully raised during my defense.

During the trial, representatives from Bright House Networks testified and portrayed my property as remote and isolated, implying that I was intentionally stealing service. In reality, the property is located near other RV parks and developed areas.

When I was placed on the stand, my attorney asked only a few basic questions, such as whether I owned the property and whether I had stolen cable. I denied any involvement in cable theft, but I was not given the opportunity to fully explain the situation, including the officers’ conduct or the condition of the property.

The jury ultimately found me guilty. I was placed on probation and later faced attempts to violate that probation.

Since then, I have been advised that I may have grounds to take legal action against both Bright House Networks and the police department. However, I was told that obtaining a not-guilty outcome or overturning the conviction would significantly strengthen my position.