Suits against Seminole hotel are attempts to block competition, says Coconut Creek mayor

Coconut Creek Mayor Marlin Gerber is accusing the Isle of Capri casino in Pampano Beach of sponsoring a bevvy of lawsuits that have been filed to block the planned development of a 1,000-room Seminole hotel in Coconut Creek. Four lawsuits have been filed to block the hotel, two by Barbara and Melvin Turcotte that have been denied by the Court of Appeals, and two more by Marc Ripps that are pending. The Turcottes and Ripps are all employees of the Isle of Capri and are being represented by the same law firm, Becker & Poliakoff, that represents the Pampano Beach casino. The Turcottes say they don’t know who is paying the firm, but the attorney representing them and Ripps say the suits are not attempts by Isle of Capri to block the development.

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But that’s not how Gerber sees it. “The Isle is using those people to do everything they can to cause problems for the competition,” she said. [Sun Sentinel]