Wheelchair-bound Brooklyn man received tens of thousands in settlements through alleged ‘shakedown’ lawsuits over access

A paraplegic man formerly living successful NYCHA housing now has a swanky flat and allegedly bought a Mercedes acknowledgment to rate from settlements successful lawsuits defendants declare magnitude to a citywide “shakedown.”

Wheelchair-bound Jocelyn Pierre has revenge 113 national lawsuits against restaurants, pharmacies, clothing stores and moreover a kindness successful Brooklyn and Manhattan since 2018 for their alleged nonaccomplishment to supply handicap entree to their establishments.

In each lawsuit he cites nan national Americans pinch Disabilities Act (ADA), according to nan filings reviewed by The Post. Once nan lawsuits are filed, his lawyers move successful and connection to settee if nan businesses salary thousands of dollars, according to those who person received them.

All of Pierre’s lawsuits person been brought by Manhattan-based attorneys Bradly and Darren Marks and person targeted everyone from high-end clothing shop Paul Stuart connected Madison Avenue and a Duane Reade to Electric Lotus Tattoo, a tattoo workplace successful Fort Greene.

Lucali, nan famed pizza edifice successful Carroll Gardens which is simply a favourite of celebrities including Taylor Swift, David Beckham and Beyonce and Jay-Z, was besides sued.

The pizza associated is 1 of nan fewer to conflict backmost done nan courts — astir cases are settled and 35 are ongoing, according to tribunal records.

Lucali person revenge a suit successful consequence to nan national lawsuit against Pierre and his lawyers, who are brothers, successful which they blasted nan “malicious prosecution” and “fraudulent action” against nan buzzy pizza parlor.

“In bid to warrant his absurd requests for attorney’s fees, nan suspect lawyer uses and abuses nan abnormal suspect Pierre to dress that he enters each azygous New York City edifice connected a random artifact truthful that he tin retrieve for ‘lack of ADA compliance’ and makes judge to inquire these restaurants for his ain exorbitant attorney’s fees,” Lucali alleged successful a suit revenge past period successful Brooklyn State Supreme Court.

According to nan original declare Pierre had revenge against Lucali, he was “a desolate man surviving successful publically owned NYCHA buildings for astir of his life.”

However, since he started launching lawsuits 7 years ago, Pierre purchased a reddish Mercedes, according to tribunal papers. He now lives successful a high-end, caller improvement successful Brooklyn wherever a one-bedroom flat lists for much than $4,000 per month. The building features a fittingness center, yoga workplace and “cocktail herb garden,” according to its website. [This is our reporting]

The Lucali suit alleges that Pierre is “a vector for nan suspect lawyer to make money disconnected harassing mini businesses… utilizing each frivolous and unethical tactic.” In Pierre’s suit against nan restaurant, he moreover names nan owner’s dormant parents arsenic defendants, tribunal papers show.

In addition, nan national title against Lucali was revenge astir 2 years aft Pierre allegedly tried to entree nan premises connected November 14, 2022.

“The suspect lawyer purposely revenge complaints against immoderate edifice pinch video cameras years aft nan title to guarantee nan portion would beryllium deleted to deprive specified parties of immoderate defense,” Lucali declare successful their case.

Many smaller businesses don’t person nan aforesaid resources. Under nan ADA and section laws, mini businesses are required to supply customers pinch disabilities nan aforesaid adjacent entree to their equipment and services arsenic capable bodied customers.

How precisely that is done depends connected myriad factors and nan disablement involved, but businesses Pierre has revenge against declare they’re not moreover even fixed a chance to show really they would accommodate him.

Jae Connor, who runs Electric Lotus Tattoo, told The Post he did not callback Pierre trying to summation entree to his shop connected June 22, 2024, nan day alleged successful nan lawsuit, which was revenge successful Brooklyn national tribunal successful January.

He said he was nan only personification moving that time and would person rushed to thief him if he had shown up.

At Lucali, if a patron arrives successful a wheelchair, “the hostess instantly notifies nan unit to unfastened Lucali’s portable ramp which is permitted by ADA,” according to ineligible papers. “Lucali has galore abnormal patrons, including nan owner’s biologic relative who frequents nan edifice connected a regular basis.”

In a later filing successful that suit, Pierre denied he owns a Mercedes and moved to disregard nan case, claiming it was “baseless.”

Pierre refused remark to The Post past week. His lawyer Darren Marks said: “We do not remark astir progressive litigation.”

In Brooklyn, Pierre settled for an undisclosed magnitude pinch Emma’s Torch, a cafe that trains refugees successful culinary arts past year. The owners told The Post they are worried astir losing their livelihoods aft having to fork retired for attorneys’ fees and different ineligible costs.

Pierre sued nan kindness and 345 Realty LLC, which owns nan building successful 2023, months aft he claimed he tried to participate nan spot connected April 27, 2022. The parties settled six months later, tribunal records show.

The charity, which took successful much than $2.3 cardinal successful donations successful 2023 did not return a petition for remark past week. [2.3m listed connected its 1099]

“I went astir and interviewed people, and astir of them said they had ne'er seen this person,” said a suspect who did not want to beryllium identified because they were successful talks to settee their ain suit brought by Pierre.

“The dates and times don’t align. I heard from 1 shop proprietor who sewage nan ineligible request missive successful nan mail, and instantly called nan lawyers to inquire really overmuch it would beryllium to make it each spell away. The reply was $5,000 and she put it connected her in installments card.”

One of Lucali’s attorneys, Luis Umana, lives successful nan Brooklyn vicinity wherever Pierre has launched galore of his lawsuits, and called them “vicious actions” against susceptible mini businesses successful nan community.

“Often lacking nan financial intends to equine a defense, sorb opposing counsel’s fees, and instrumentality mandated remediations, they find themselves successful an unenviable position,” Umana and her co-counsel Elizabeth Johannesen said successful a statement.

“While we firmly advocator for cosmopolitan accessibility arsenic defined successful nan ADA, a consciousness of fairness compels america to mobility a strategy that seemingly permits a azygous individual to initiate a barrage of lawsuits.

“[They] perchance jeopardize nan livelihoods and dedicated efforts of mini business owners, pinch small grounds this personification really suffered an injury, aliases has an intent to return to nan business arsenic required by nan law.”