Carlos Noriega, a former Miami Beach, Florida police chief, and Alejandro Bello, Charles Press, and George Lerra - three other city officials - have filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Miami Beach, news sources report. The lawsuit claims the city of Miami Beach worked to withhold workers' compensation payments from the plaintiffs, who had all suffered heart conditions while on the job. The lawsuit seeks the compensation for the plaintiffs' losses while on duty. It remains to be seen whether any other employees will come forward with similar lawsuits.
According to reports, Noriega was once the police chief for the city of Miami Beach. Bello is currently the Miami Beach Fraternal Order of Police President. Press and Lerra are both former Miami Beach police officers. According to the lawsuit, all four plaintiffs had experienced heart issues while working for the department.
The department allegedly did not provide worker's compensation in connection to the health problems, as is required under the Florida Heart Law. The Florida Heart Law grants police officers and firefighters workers' compensation benefits if they suffer from hypertension or heart disease, since those ailments can be caused by a high-stress work environment. In addition to not receiving the benefits they were entitled to, the plaintiffs also say the failure of payment was "designed, conditioned or condoned [by the City of Miami Beach and the Doctor, Johns Eastern, who was responsible for treating the plaintiffs]."
"Instead of paying the impairment benefits, Defendant City of Miami Beach decided to place its profits over the health, welfare and well-being of the very same law-enforcement officers it relies on," the lawsuit says. The suit states the plaintiffs received some compensation, but not in the amount they were entitled to. The plaintiffs' suit also states that, because the plaintiffs had received letters stating they would be paid the compensation and were not, the city of Miami Beach violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.