Charges Dismissed Against Pair Accused in ADA Lawsuits Scam

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – All charges were dismissed Friday against an attorney and another man who were accused of conspiring to file more than five dozen harassment lawsuits seeking payoffs from small businesses over purported Americans with Disabilities Act violations. Ross Christopher Cornell, 48, of Big Bear and Bryan Eduardo Estrada, 28, of Homeland both had been charged with five counts each of filing false documents and conspiracy to commit a felony. Following a preliminary hearing that court records indicated was held over three days — April 26, April 27 and May 12 — at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Matthew Perantoni dismissed all counts. The men’s prior bond requirements were additionally exonerated by the judge. The District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the disposition of the case, which was filed in March 2022. Prosecutors had alleged that from mid 2019 to the first quarter of 2022, Cornell and Estrada targeted more than 60 proprietorships countywide in so-called "shakedown" civil actions, claiming the victims were failing to comply with federal disability access requirements specified under the ADA. A review of the suits filed by Cornell, who has been practicing law since 2000, revealed that the claims were part of an alleged scam to extract payments, the District Attorney’s Office said. "The District Attorney’s Office supports accessibility rights for disabled persons but strongly maintains that ADA laws should not be manipulated solely for financial benefit, as alleged in this case," according to an agency statement released after the criminal complaint was filed last year. Prosecutors contended that Estrada had been the alleged front man in the operation, visiting the businesses and later submitting claims that he could not gain access. It was unknown in how many instances Cornell offered to settle litigation out of court and for what amounts. Neither man has any documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County. Cornell’s law license remains valid and has no disciplinary actions listed by the California State Bar Association. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.