Nick Caporella, the Billionaire CEO of National Beverage- the parent company behind La Croix, has once again found himself facing allegations of sexual misconduct. Caporella, also a pilot, flew in the left seat of the company jet while two other pilots were brought in to fly as co-pilot. These two pilots flew with Caporella over 30 times spanning 2014- 2016.
One of the co-pilots, Terence Huenefeld, filed a lawsuit December 2016 in Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida. According to the court filings, Caporella engaged in “repeated unjustified, unwarranted and uninvited grabbing, rubbing and groping of Terry’s leg in a sexual manner, reaching up towards Terry’s sexual organs,” The lawsuit was settled out of court in January 2018 and the suit was later withdrawn as a condition of the settlement.
Vincent Citrullo, the other pilot, also filed a lawsuit that was originally partly dismissed by the Federal Court citing “jurisdiction.” The lawsuit was refiled in December 2017 and is currently pending. Both Nick Caporella and National Beverage are named as co-defendants in the suit.
These allegations come at a time when the international #MeToo movement is making viral storms around the world. The #MeToo movement has brought forward numerous allegations against some high profile players in the entertainment and business sectors.
Image © Carlos Barcelo, Jetphotos.com
© 2018 Mike Olsen
