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Discrimination Case Juror Guilty Of Filing False Police Report

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 24, 2009

TAMPA - A member of a jury that ordered a prominent car dealer to pay millions in an age discrimination case has been found guilty of filing a false police report.

Trevor Johnston, 22, was part of the jury that in April awarded $5.8 million to a former wholesale manager at Ernie Haire Ford who said he was illegally fired.

After the civil trial, Johnston told the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office that a representative of Ernie Haire's offered him $75,000 to help the car dealer's appeal.

After an investigation, detectives accused Johnston of lying and charged him with filing a false police report.

Last week, Johnston was sentenced to a year of probation, according to court records. He also must complete 500 hours of community service, including 100 hours on the sheriff's office work detail, and pay the sheriff's office $2,400 in investigation costs and $175 in court costs.

Johnston, who has worked for car dealerships, was ordered to get a full-time job or show proof he has applied for at least four jobs a day.

County Judge Lawrence Lefler also ordered him to never again serve as a juror.

According to the investigation report, Johnston told deputies June 30 that two days earlier he had been approached in the shampoo aisle of a Wal-Mart by Haire's general manager, Greg Balasco, who offered him $75,000 if he would "throw a case so Ernie Haire could win an appeal."

Balasco vehemently denied approaching Johnston. He produced witnesses to show that he was on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico with several other people at the time of the alleged incident.

In a September interview with The Tampa Tribune, Johnston said he told detectives that someone who said he was a representative of Balasco approached him. He said he identified the individual as Balasco in a handwritten statement because he wrote it wrong.

"I admit it doesn't look good for me," Johnston said at the time.

As part of his sentence, Johnston was ordered to write a letter of apology to Balasco.

Ernie Haire Ford, which filed for bankruptcy protection in November, is seeking a new trial in the discrimination case.

In part, the company contends Johnston was biased, said Todd Hodges, an attorney for Haire. Johnston allegedly told investigators he hated Haire and Balasco.

Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at (813) 259-7837 or esilvestrini@tampatrib.com.

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