A 58-year-old man faces sentencing after a Marion County jury found him guilty of attempting to use fraudulent legal documents to target local officials. Manes Pierre was convicted last week on charges of Fraudulent Simulation of a Legal Process and making a False Statement to the Department of State. Following the verdict, Pierre was taken into custody without bond.
The case dates back to August 2021, when the Marion County Sheriff’s Office discovered an unlawful lien filed with the Florida Department of State. The document claimed that several high-ranking officials owed a debt of $16 million. Among those listed as debtors were Marion County Sheriff William Woods, Clerk of Court Gregory C. Harrell, a Circuit Court Judge, and an Assistant State Attorney.
Investigators found that none of the officials named in the document had any prior knowledge of the debt or the lien. A records search eventually confirmed the filing was entirely fabricated.
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The fraudulent document cited a “Morocco Consular Court” as the originating legal body and named an individual identified as Elio Bohechio Trogon El as the judicial officer.
Pierre was listed as the creditor. Detective Kip Peterson of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office tracked the electronic filing back to Pierre by obtaining transaction details from the Department of State.
The billing information, email address, and Miami Beach residency used to pay the filing fee matched Pierre’s personal records and previous court submissions.
“Filing false liens is not only illegal, but it’s harmful, and it’s a form of harassment that can significantly harm a person’s reputation and lead to substantial damages,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “This type of crime will not be tolerated in our jurisdiction, and I am grateful the jurors convicted this defendant for his crimes.”
The prosecution was led by Assistant State Attorneys Kevin Steiniger and Robert Bullara, with assistance from the Florida Department of State and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Pierre remains in custody while he awaits a final sentencing date.
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