Fort Lauderdale, FL – Multimillionaire Who Accused Broward Deputies of Anti-Semitism Takes Plea Deal

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    Guma AguiarFort Lauderdale, FL – A multimillionaire has quietly taken a plea deal in a misdemeanor drug case after telling Israeli media that Broward Sheriff’s deputies beat him and made anti-Semitic remarks during his arrest.

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    Guma Aguiar, the main sponsor for a popular Israeli soccer team, warned in August that sheriff’s deputies “should be shaking in their pants” because he would make them answer for abuse he suffered after being pulled over while at the wheel of his Bentley.

    A Broward Sheriff’s Office spokesman dismissed his accusations as “ludicrous.” After he told Israel media the same thing, spokesman Jim Leljedal said, Aguiar telephoned him to demand a public retraction.

    “[Aguiar] tried to intimidate me and said that he had money, he would fight and he would embarrass us,” Leljedal said.

    Despite his public claims and threats, Broward court records show that Aguiar, 32, has pleaded no contest to possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, avoiding any jail time or probation.

    Once he pays $536 in court costs, the charges, both misdemeanors, will be wiped from his record.

    “[The plea] was in his best interest,” said Michael Dutko, Aguiar’s attorney. He said he was unaware if his client still plans to file a complaint against the Broward Sheriff’s Office for his treatment in custody.

    Aguiar did not return phone messages.

    He told the popular Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot that Broward deputies broke his fingers and punched him after stopping his 2009 Bentley last June 19 on North Dixie Highway in Oakland Park.

    According to a police report, Aguiar was pulled over after his car repeatedly drifted across the double-yellow center line. Aguiar admitted he had been smoking marijuana, the report says.

    He was arrested and taken to Broward County Jail, where according to an internal sheriff’s department memo, he threatened other inmates and told a guard, “I have money and could buy you, Mr. Deputy.”

    He also attempted to head-butt a deputy and repeatedly resisted staff, the memo says.

    Aguiar accused jail staff of brutally mistreating him, and said that when he left the jail, he looked like he had been in a cage match with boxers Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.

    The sheriff’s office memo says while in custody, he was treated by medical personnel for bruises to his head and elbow and redness to his wrist.

    Aguiar, who made his fortune in the oil and gas business, became the sponsor this summer of the Israeli Premier League soccer team Beitar Jerusalem and has given millions to various Israeli and Jewish causes within the last few years. That includes an $8-million donation to Nefesh b’Nefesh, an organization that helps Jews move to Israel.

    Leljedal said Aguiar’s claims against the sheriff’s office are baseless.

    “Obviously we will accept the plea and just hope if he comes back, he drives safely and we don’t have any further contact,” Leljedal said.


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    7 Comments
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    Dan L'Chof Zechus
    Dan L'Chof Zechus
    14 years ago

    Whatever the case may be, this Yid has learned Torah, done much gemilas chasadim, given tzedakah, and has been blessed by HKBH with much wealth. I am mispallel that he does only good all the days of his life. AMEN !!!

    Milhouse
    Milhouse
    14 years ago

    Agreeing to a plea bargain doesn’t mean he’s guilty. Without a trial we don’t know and will NEVER know whether he actually did anything wrong; it’s simply not worth his while to go to trial, when he can make it go away so easily. So let’s not have people jumping to conclusions. He knows what really happened, so does the arresting officer, and so does Hashem; nobody else knows anything.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    He is a baal tzedaka, a yiras shamayim and a fine yid and certainly not someone who would tell a lie. We must be daan likaf zechus.

    litvak
    litvak
    14 years ago

    How interesting that all the previous posters are not mentioning that he was found with drugs and drug instruments.

    What a yiras shamayim!!

    Maybe he learns best when he is stoned out of his mind.

    Yeah, tell it to the marines.

    me
    me
    14 years ago

    I wonder if this will have an affect on his other legal actions mentioned here in VIN?

    Mr. A.
    Mr. A.
    14 years ago

    It’s not clear from this story if he was found guilty. He pled “no contest,” which is not quite the same thing as a guilty plea. The judge made him pay the court costs, and expunged the arrests from his record. He could have been found guilty, and had the verdict set aside, or have taken a conditional discharge.

    From a legal point of view, if the latter is the case, if he were to apply for a job, he could say without lying that he was not convicted of a crime.

    He did, however, admit to smoking marijuana while driving, so from that standpoint, he was definitely guilty.

    dovid's friend
    dovid's friend
    14 years ago

    i don’t care about the substance of the charges. I just want to know if i can receive some of his charity.