George Zimmerman, charged with second degree murder in the Trayvon Martin shooting, owes a private security company $27,000 in unpaid bills according to a lawsuit the company filed against him.
Zimmerman lawyer Mark O’Mara hired the bodyguards from Associated Investigative Services (AIS) in late June 2012 to provide security for Zimmerman and his family. Once an independent trustee took over the management of the Zimmerman defense fund, payments for the security detail stopped.
The Orlando Sentinel provides more information on the lawsuit against George Zimmerman:
“According to the company, O’Mara explained that Zimmerman and the trustee were ‘clamping down’ on the defense fund because it was ‘very low.’ ”
“Zimmerman ‘does not have any funds presently available to attend to any such debt, realizing the enormity if upcoming expenses of the defense,’ O’Mara told AIS, the suit says.
O’Mara claimed that the security company already received $40,000, and he was surprised the firm sued. Zimmerman’s wife Shellie and O’Mara are also named as defendants in the AIS lawsuit.
According to London’s Daily Mail , “The AIS complaint acknowledges the $40,000 paid and also says the company warned O’Mara the amount of security he requested was ‘excessive’.”
Zimmerman is apparently receiving protection from a less expensive security firm now; AIS was reportedly charging as much as $7,000 a week.
George Zimmerman is free on $1 million bond and has been living in hiding since his release. He is under electronic monitoring while he awaits trial that is scheduled to start on June 10 .
In a separate legal action, Zimmerman is suing NBC for defamation over the handling of the 911 tape.
