FORT LAUDERDALE – The head of a Virginia enterprise accused of exploiting immigration detainees trying to find bail has now been charged with defrauding the brother of Parkland college shooter Nikolas Cruz.
The Augusta County Sheriff’s Place of work explained Mike Donovan, the CEO of Nexus Providers in Verona, Virginia, was arrested Wednesday soon after remaining indicted on fraud charges. The indictment states that the victim is Zachary Cruz, 22, who for several yrs has lived with Donovan and his wife or husband, Richard Moore, in Fishersville.
Moore, who is a section operator and govt with Nexus, and 3 some others are also dealing with prices together with Donovan.
Donovan denies that Cruz has been defrauded. He explained the fees are retaliation for attempts he has carried out to expose corruption in the sheriff’s place of work and hold it accountable for two law enforcement shootings last year.
“I want to go to a jury. I will simply call witnesses and expose these men and women,” Donovan reported.
Donovan and Moore took Zachary Cruz in nearly 4 several years back. Donovan mentioned he became acquainted with Zachary Cruz following studying he was dealing with $500,000 bail on a trespassing demand for skateboarding at the superior college exactly where the shootings transpired.
Immediately after getting to know him, they supplied him a dwelling in Virginia and Donovan stated he considers Cruz to be element of the spouse and children.
“When you see what he is gone as a result of, and what he’s been equipped to accomplish, it really is really inspiring,” Donovan stated.
He claimed he is offended by authorities’ suggestion that Zachary Cruz is mentally incapable of making his own decisions.
A research warrant affidavit filed in May possibly 2021 states that Shenandoah Valley Social Solutions introduced an investigation last yr after obtaining a report that Zachary Cruz was remaining financially exploited by Donovan and Moore.
The affidavit alleged that Cruz lacked the mental potential to make his possess fiscal judgements, even although he is an adult, and that a $428,000 inheritance he gained after his mother’s loss of life was transferred into other accounts.
Donovan explained federal prosecutors investigated all those allegations and exonerated him. He said that at this level, the inheritance revenue is invested and that Donovan and Moore are primarily supporting Cruz fiscally with a weekly stipend.
Cruz could not be arrived at for comment Thursday. His lawyer, Amina Matheny Willard, who also signifies Donovan, denied that Cruz has been victimized by his new spouse and children.
Previous year the Purchaser Money Defense Bureau and 3 states, together with Virginia, sued Donovan and his corporation, alleging that a subsidiary – Libre by Nexus – has exploited immigrant detainees by charging abnormal costs to get them produced on bail when they await hearings. That lawsuit is ongoing.
Donovan has vociferously defended his carry out. He claims his firm has assisted tens of hundreds of immigrants stay away from extended detention even though they await adjudication in a damaged immigration process.
Zachary’s more mature brother, Nikolas Cruz, pleaded guilty past calendar year to fatally capturing 14 pupils and 3 personnel members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Higher Faculty in 2018.
A sentencing trial is at present ongoing to ascertain no matter if Nikolas Cruz will receive the loss of life penalty. Protection lawyers have argued that Nikolas Cruz experienced mind hurt simply because his start mom drank through pregnancy.
Zachary Cruz is two a long time young and has the exact same birth mother. Both of those were adopted and grew up with each other in Parkland. Testimony for the duration of the demo has highlighted the boys’ unstable relatives life.
Zachary Cruz had been mentioned as a defense witness but was not identified as to testify.
