No state agency has charged former Broward mover Shawn Thompson criminally, although at least two have been investigating Thompson after customer complaints alleging fraud and extortion. But, an Orange County court hit Thompson with a civil judgment in December just as a Miami-Dade court did a year earlier.
A final judgment from Orange County Judge Jeramy C. Beasley on Dec. 4 hits Thompson with $13,000 in basic damages, $39,000 in punitive damages and $430 in court costs — plus it awarded $7,720 in attorney’s fees to plaintiff Scott Meyer.
Backed by an estimate, invoices and Zelle transfer screenshots, Meyer’s lawsuit said Thompson’s Moving Giants gave Meyer an estimate of $669.50 for a 19-mile Orlando to Oveido move on July 11, 2023, then morphed it to $1,801 upon arrival at the Oveido location via unapproved new charges. The new invoice said Thompson and Thompson employee Renee Carter would hold Meyer’s property until he paid the inflated price.
Beasley’s judgment was a default judgment. Unlike the Miami-Dade case, in which Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Michael Barket said Thompson’s testimony showed him to be “a direct participant in this unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent scheme,” Thompson wasn’t deposed. He didn’t respond to the Orange County lawsuit in any way, court records show.