A man who sued the Lee County Sheriff and a now-fired sergeant is getting a large sum of money as part of a settlement.
Cory Samek is receiving $400,000 as part of the agreement, according to documents obtained by Gulf Coast News.
The incident that sparked it happened back in August of 2023 outside of a gas station on Palm Beach Boulevard.
Lee County sheriff’s deputies came across Samek, who they said was drinking and causing problems. He was arrested and charged with trespassing, resisting arrest and disorderly intoxication.
But what he looked like after the arrest raised questions about what happened during it. His mugshot upon being booked into the jail showed major bruising and swelling to his face.
Two weeks after that, the state attorney dropped the charges against Samek.
Then, in October 2023 after an internal investigation, Sheriff Carmine Marceno announced Sergeant Christopher Meyer was fired for improper use of force in Samek’s arrest.
Two deputies were also fired and four others were disciplined for, in part, not properly reporting what happened at the gas station.
In 2024, attorney Joe North filed a federal lawsuit on Samek's behalf against Marceno and Meyer, alleging excessive force.
Now, Samek is getting $400,000 as part of a settlement to resolve the lawsuit. Records obtained by Gulf Coast News show it’s being paid by the Florida Sheriffs Risk Management Fund.
A spokesperson for LCSO released a statement about the settlement, writing an email to Gulf Coast News, "We are satisfied that the civil litigation was resolved appropriately and timely. However, we can't comment further since there remains an open and active criminal investigation regarding former employee Christopher Meyer."
The criminal investigation into Meyer in the wake of the case is ongoing. Records show the governor’s office has assigned it to the State Attorney's Office for the 12th Judicial Circuit to avoid a potential conflict of interest with the state attorney that serves Lee County.
The office handling the investigation would not comment on it or where it stands.
Gulf Coast News tried reaching Meyer but have not heard back.
North confirmed the settlement, but said neither he nor Samek would not be commenting on it.
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