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Date: June 1, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2009 Contact: Neil Birenbaum 305-571-8550 MIAMI, FL -- Miami-Dade Judge Peter Adrien awarded a $1.179 billion to two Cuban brothers, Gustavo and Alfredo Villoldo, to pay damages for the wrongful death of their father, Cuban businessman Gustavo Villoldo Argilagos. The judge found the defendants, Fidel Castro Ruz, Raul Castro Ruz, Ernesto "Che Guevara" Guevara, the Cuban Ministry of Interior, the Army of the Republic of Cuba, and the Republic of Cuba, guilty of inflicting intentional emotional distress upon Villoldo Argilagos, ultimately causing him to commit suicide. The defendants' actions were found to be in violation of the retroactive Antiterrorism Act and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. This monumental decision, awarded to the Villoldo brothers and their attorneys Jeremy Alters and Beth Vogelsang, marks the single largest verdict awarded to a family in history. The decision also marks only the 9th time an American court has ruled for money to be distributed out of frozen Cuban assets. Villoldo Argilagos, 56 at the time of his death, worked closely with the United States Embassy and was a prominent Cuban businessman, working as a practicing attorney. He owned a Havana GM dealership, gas station, and office building, and was also well invested in the community. After enduring endless mental and emotional abuse from the Castro regime, Villoldo Argilagos took his own life, leaving behind his wife and two sons. Villoldo Argilagos saw his personal suicide as the only way to safeguard his beloved family against the multiple threats he had received, including the confiscation of all his businesses and properties, as well as the murder of his family by Guevara in front of firing squads. About Jeremy Alters Jeremy W. Alters is the founding and managing partner in the law firm of Alters, Boldt, Brown, Rash & Culmo, P.A. (Alters Law Firm) with offices in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, as well as Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mr. Alters is currently expanding the firm's practice on a Global scale. At 38, Mr. Alters manages every aspect of the law firm, its 10 lawyers, 30 plus employees, and its United States and Global practices. He has met with various government officials in South America and continues to develop relationships around the world to further Alters Law Firm's Global practice. In his career, he has resolved cases totaling well over $200 million. Mr. Alters has achieved dozens of multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts including many noteworthy eight-figure settlements. About Alters, Boldt, Brown, Rash & Culmo, P.A. Alters, Boldt, Brown, Rash & Culmo, P.A. (Alters Law Firm) brings more than 100 years of combined experience in civil trial law and appellate practice to the high profile cases it selectively handles in Florida, the United States and Globally. As a result, the nationally known trial team has successfully tried hundreds of cases and obtained numerous multi-million dollar settlements and jury verdicts. Not only does Alters Law Firm have the vast experience in litigating against the largest international corporations, but Alters Law Firm also has the necessary resources to aggressively and relentlessly fight for its clients in cases involving the most catastrophic disasters.
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