Miami Gardens pastor Eric Readon files lawsuit against landlords

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Miami Gardens pastor Eric Readon is at it again, filing suit against people who talk about his actions to Local 10 News.

Readon sent a text message to his landlords claiming he's filed suit against them for talking about his eviction and bouncing checks.

The text was sent Wednesday morning to Atilio DiBabbo, who is part owner of the house Readon is renting at 7940 NW 156th St. in Miami Lakes. 

READ THE LETTER: Claim of defamation by Eric Readon 

DiBabbo and his business partner, Alexis Arena, have filed eviction proceedings against Readon in Miami Dade County court. DiBabbo and Arena said Readon owes them $15,000 in rent.

DiBabbo said Readon paid rent with several checks that  bounced and provided Local 10 News with copies of those checks and confirmation from Bank of America.

Court records show Readon was charged with worthless checks in 2010 and 2012.

In a prior text, Readon threatened DiBabbo that if they talked to Local 10 News, he would be violating, what Readon called, the "privacy act." 

Local 10 News knows of no "privacy act" that would prohibit his landlords from talking about their issue.

Readon has also filed a $12.5 million defamation, libel and slander suit against WPLG. Readon's attorney, Andrew Kassier, put WPLG on notice Wednesday that he plans to amend and add to the original complaint.

The action comes after Local 10 aired another story on Readon. Beside his landlords, Lorenzo Johnson was featured in that story.

Johnson said Readon stole a check out of his office, forged it and deposited it back in 2012.
The check was for $9,000.

Johnson only got his money back this year after placing a lien on Readon's Miami Gardens church.
At the time, Johnson owned a daycare center in Miami.

"The check was stolen from my office by Eric Readon and was written and cashed -- $9,000," Johnson said.

Johnson said Readon asked to borrow money and he said no. Johnson claims that when he walked out of the daycare office to attended to a matter involving a child, Readon stole the check.

"It was sitting on my desk," Johnson said.

Johnson filed a police report but decided not to pursue the issue criminally. Instead, he filed a civil suit to get the his money back.

Readon was ordered by the court to pay Johnson back, plus interest. Five years went by with nothing until Johnson placed a lien on the church.

"I finally got my money back," Johnson said.

Edward Fuller, 70, was also featured in Monday's story.

"I trusted him because he was a pastor," Fuller said.

As reported in July, Fuller, a retired postal employee, claims Readon made himself the contractor on a house Fuller was building in North Miami.

When Fuller ran out of money, he said, Readon offered to get him loans. But in order to do that, Fuller said Readon persuaded him to sign the deed to the house over.

Fuller said it was supposed to be temporary. Instead, records show Readon sold the house for $380,000. Fuller saidReadon didn't tell him or give him a cent.

Fuller has now filed suit against Readon and his wife, Miami-Dade County school teacher Lakeshia Readon. 

Eric Readon has refused to speak to Local 10 News about all the allegations.

The Florida Bar has an open investigation against Readon's attorney, Andrew Kassier.

Aire Lawrence said she hired Kassier and gave him several thousand dollars to represent her in an adoption. Lawrence said Kassier did nothing.

Kassier was suspended from practicing law in the past for misappropriating a client's trust funds and writing bad checks.

Readon has also put several other people featured in Local 10 News stories on notice that he plans on suing them as well.