Ace Hardware employee files million-dollar suit after alleging manager hung a noose in warehouse on Juneteenth
An Ace Hardware store employee has filed a million-dollar lawsuit in Texas after alleging that his manager hung a noose inside a warehouse on Juneteenth.
Devondrick Hartsfield, who is Black, revealed he lost his job as a delivery driver after complaining that his white manager tied a black backpack from a noose in 2023, which Hartsfield said was an act of racial discrimination, according to a lawsuit seen by the newspaper Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Hartsfield said his supervisor, a white man, claimed it was 'a prank' because another staff member left it behind.
Despite receiving an apology, Hartsfield has now taken matters further. Juneteenth signifies the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S.
Hartsfield told CBS News at the time that he had worked at the store for four years and believed he was the only Black employee.
The lawsuit documents, filed Tuesday in Dallas County, Texas, just two days before this year's Juneteenth, named the store as Van Marcke's Ace Hardware in Arlington, Texas.
In the suit, Hartsfield's manager, whom the Star-Telegram has not named, is alleged to have shown Hartsfield the noose as they walked through the warehouse.
Hartsfield returned to the warehouse later that day with a cashier as his witness to take pictures of the offensive display, which he later included in a report to the store's human resources department.
The noose was still hanging in the warehouse the following day, according to the suit.
Hartsfield told CBS Fort Worth that he was afraid of his workplace.
"Before we walked to the door, he told me to look up, and I looked up, and when I looked back at him, he was like, 'It's a joke, Juan left his backpack,'" Hartsfield said.
"And when I looked back up, I saw the noose with the rope, and I was like, 'What the hell?'"
Hartsfield stated that after filing a discrimination complaint, he was suspended and replaced by an employee who was not Black, according to the suit.
His lawyer is now pushing for a compensation payout.
'Mr. Hartsfield raised legitimate concerns about a racially hostile work environment,' Hartsfield's lawyer Jason Smith said.
'Instead of addressing them responsibly, Ace Hardware's management effectively ended his employment.'
At the time of the alleged display, the store posted a statement that read: "Van Marcke's Ace Hardware would like to assure you and the entire community that any allegations of racism or any discrimination are being thoroughly investigated and addressed with the utmost urgency. We take such incidents seriously and are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for both our employees and customers."
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Ice's ‘inhumane' arrest of well-known vineyard manager shakes Oregon wine industry
In the early morning hours of 12 June, Moises Sotelo woke up to go to work in the rolling hills of Oregon's Willamette Valley wine country, a place he has called home for decades. But this morning was not business as usual. A car tailed Sotelo as soon as he left his driveway, according to an account from his coworker. Trucks surrounded him just outside of St Michael's Episcopal church, where he was detained by federal immigration agents. By the end of the day, Sotelo was in an Ice detention facility. 'He was in chains at his feet,' Alondra Sotelo-Garcia told a local news outlet about seeing her father arrested. 'Shoelaces were taken off, his belt was off, he didn't have his ring, he didn't have his watch. Everything was taken from him.' His detention has sent shockwaves through the tight-knit Oregon wine community. Sotelo is a fixture of local industry – in 2020 he was awarded with the Vineyard Excellence Award from the Oregon Wine Board and in 2024 he established his own small business maintaining vineyards. Left in the lurch is Sotelo's family, the church he attends, the employees of his small business, the vineyards he works with and friends made along the way. Requests to Ice from family or attorneys regarding next steps in Sotelo's detention are hitting dead ends. Anthony Van Nice, the owner of a local vineyard, first worked with Sotelo in the mid 1990s when Van Nice was a 'cellar rat' getting his start in the wine industry. He considers Sotelo a friend and said he was 'disappointed and disgusted' by the arrest, and the government's treatment of immigrants. 'My concern is about my friends and neighbors who are getting rounded up by Ice,' Van Nice told the Guardian. 'We built this country on the backs of immigrant labor … To just round them up like criminals and throw them into these overcrowded detention centers, send them packing without telling their family or attorneys where they are or where they're going, it's inhumane. It's a human rights issue.' Sotelo's detention comes as Ice raids on farmworkers are heating up in Oregon's wine country and across the US. The Trump administration briefly directed US immigration agents to shift their focus away from farms, only to abruptly reverse course this week. Meanwhile, reports of masked, unidentified agents conducting workplace raids have become commonplace. America's agricultural industry, where at least 42% of workers are estimated by the US Department of Labor to be undocumented, is exemplifying the practical limits of Donald Trump's aggressive deportation agenda. Victoria Reader, who works for Sotelo as a vineyard manager, would know. She was in the car on 6 June, a week before Sotelo's arrest, when another employee was also taken. Reader says that agents were masked and refused to identify themselves. 'They didn't identify themselves. They just came out. They didn't even say anything. They just started trying to open the doors,' Reader said. 'I kept asking, who are you? What are you doing? And they wouldn't answer.' Reader said that agents would not tell her what immigration laws her employee violated, threatened her with assault of an officer for asking questions and told her she was not allowed to follow their cars or know where her employee was being taken. 'I'm doing the best I can to keep my crew safe and protected, but there's only so much I can do,' Reader said. 'But long term, this isn't sustainable for human life, it's not sustainable for business, it's not sustainable for this industry, it's not sustainable for agriculture and this country.' Bubba King, the Yamhill county commissioner, said that he's seen fear spread through his community in response to the raids. 'When a large part of the workforce is afraid to come to work or of being detained, everything is affected,' King said. In a statement sent to local outlet KGW, Ice alleged that Sotelo 'first entered the United States illegally in 2006' and has a 'criminal conviction for DUI in Newberg, Oregon'. Sotelo's family says that he came to the United States in the early 1990s. The Yamhill county district attorney's office told local outlets that they had found no evidence of DUI charges. Sotelo was first taken to a detention facility in Portland. By the weekend, he was in an Ice processing center in Tacoma, Washington. On Tuesday, Van Nice drove up to Tacoma to visit his friend. But Sotelo wasn't there. 'The Ice official told me they are under no obligation to tell the family or the attorneys of the detainees that they have been apprehended, or that they've been moved to another state, to another facility, or that they've been deported,' Van Nice said. 'I told him I thought that sounded wrong, and he said, 'Well, that's the way it is.'' On Wednesday morning, Ice's detainee locator showed that Sotelo had been moved more than 1,500 miles south-west to the Akima-run Florence service processing center in the Arizona desert. Ice did not notify the family or their lawyers about the relocation. In response to a Guardian inquiry about whether Ice had no obligation to inform families and attorneys of a detainees status, a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) replied, 'that is correct'. Ice did not respond to other questions about the case, including whether officers had a warrant or any documentation of a criminal record for Sotelo. The Sotelos have seen a flood of support from Oregon's wine-growing community, including a GoFundMe that has raised over $100,000 so far. Tributes to his character have also poured in. Reader said she came to Oregon two years ago with ambitions of working in the wine industry. Sotelo, with decades of experience and roots in the area, gave her a chance to make it her home as well. 'He took me under his wing and guided me and made Oregon feel like home,' Reader said. 'If he did that for me then there's so many other countless people that he's done that for.' Van Nice is grateful for the attention and support Sotelo has received and said he, and others, will keep fighting for his friend to come home. He also wonders, in the Willamette Valley and beyond, about the people that aren't as well known. 'Moises is well known in our community,' Van Nice said. 'There's countless other people that we don't know. We don't know their names, we don't know how many have been detained, and they're just lost in this system, which seems designed to make them disappear.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
'Dada Joe Remix', Kofi Boat and 8 oda Ghanaians dey face charges of wire fraud, money laundering for US
Di Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for di United States of America bin dey pursue at least eight Ghanaians wey dem allegedly dey involved for some crimes against old American citizens. For di latest press release to celebrate World elder abuse awareness day, di US attorney general, Pamela Bondi tok say dem dey "pursue everybody wia dey involve for transnational schemes wia cost billions of dollars, wey be how dem dey steal moni from old pipo." "For di last few weeks alone, investigators and prosecutors don arrest wia dem file cases against foreign fraudsters wit domestic actors wey bin dey help di foreign-based crimes," di statement on top di US deportment of justice website tok. Di Attorney general office tok say dem dey work wit "domestic law enforcement and dis counterparts for oda kontris to find dis criminals to face justice." Some of di crimes dem tok say dis pipo don commit dey involve romance scam, lottery fraud and grandparent scams. 'Dada Joe Remix' dey face extradition to di US afta dem arrest am for Ghana Di US department of justice tok say dem file case against Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng wia pipo for Ghana sabi as 'Dada Joe Remix'. On 30 May, one jury for di district of Arizona bin charge am wit conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents dem bin dey dis fraud business between 2013 to March 2023, when Boateng and oda pipo wia im dey work wit, don do romance/inheritance scheme wey target elderly American pipo. Di pipo im dey work wit (co-conspirators) bin "use false means say dem get gold and oda jewels na so to release dis tins, dem gat to pay taxes and oda moni; dat be how dem dey collect victims dia moni." Authorities for Ghana bin arrest 'Dada Joe Remix' on 30 May 2025, wia dem extradite am to di US on di request of American authorities. Na FBI wey investigate dis mata. 'Dada Joe Remix' na popular pesin for Ghana wia pipo for di entertainment industry dey describe am as "business mogul and philanthropist". Im dey associated wit plenty of di entertainment industry pipo like Shatta Bundle, Showboy, Abutrica and odas. Im dey flaunt luxury cars and oda properties wia dem tok say im allegedly dey involved in real estates, oil and gas among odas. For September 2024, many of di kontris celebrities don attend di funeral of im papa for Accra, na ogbonge funeral. Isaac Kofi Oduro Boateng alias 'Kofi Boat' and three odas chop arrest Tori be say authorities for Ghana bin arrest Kofi Oduro Boateng (Kofi Boat), Inusag Ahmed, Derrick Van Yeboah and Patrick Asare for dia alleged role for one ogbonge million dollar fraud mata wia involve wetin dem describe as Business Email Compromise (BEC) and romance scam. Di arrest wey happun on 13 June 2025, afta di kontri interior ministry don secure warrant for di district court for Accra, na part of joint Interpol and FBI operation afta US indictment charge dem wit wire fraud and money laundering. Inside one letter from di Interior ministry to di district court, dem tok say "di arrest na in line wit extradition request by di US thru di foreign ministry." Kofi Boat bin chop accuse say im na kingpin of one cybercrime syndicate wia bin dey operate for Ghana between 2016 - 2023, wia dem bin dey use spoof emails and forged letters to impersonate pipo to defraud dia victims. One court for Accra don demand di suspects on 16 June, na so dem dey begin di process to extradite dem to di US to face prosecution. Kofi Boat also bin dey associated wit top celebrities for Ghana, wia dem don dey call am business mogul and entrepreneur. Im too dey live luxury life wia im get plenty cars. Dancehall artiste Shatta wale say Kofi Boat na im godfather. Im bin roll wit am wia im tok for many videos in di past how Kofi Boat don help am for im career. But afta tori about di fact say dem arrest am don comot, Shatta Wale do one video wia im tok say make pipo no use di mata tok say im (Shatta Wale) na fraud boy. "Make una no watch my life and link me wit any bad case. I be clean pesin; na so every foreign authorities come dis kontri dey do dia research, i neva make my moni thru fraud." Shatta Wale add say "even dis my rolls Royce wey i buy, dem research am, wia dem sabi di moni i take buy am, na music moni. I neva be fraud boy." Dwayne Asafo Adjei and five odas dey face charges of wire fraud and money laundering On 4 June 2025, di US attorney office bin charge Dwayne Asafo Adjei, Nancy Adom and Eric Aidoo wit alleged fraud and money laundering conspiracies. According to court documents for di Northern Ohio District, from December 2017 to March 2024, dis pipo bin use different wire fraud and Romance fraud scams to target old Americans. Dem use dis scams take collect plenty money from dia victims by "false pretences wia dem share di money wit oda pipo for Ghana and elsewhere." Na so did FBI investigate dis mata wia dem dey prosecute dem. Di same Dwayne Asafo Adjei and Hannah Adom dey involve for anoda case of fraud. Na so for May 13, di US attorney office charge di two or dem togeda wit Otuo Amponsah, Anna Amponsah and Portia Joe for di role dem bin play for di fraud and money laundering case. Di US say dem go kontinu to pursue pipo wia don dey defraud dia citizens of dia money and properties due to dis kind scams. Ghanaian socialite 'Mona 4 Real' don return home afta she serve one-year jail-term for di US One court for di United States bin jail Ghanaian social media influencer and musician Mona Montrage for one year for 2024. Dis na afta she plead guilty say she receive proceeds from ogbonge romance scams for di US. For February 2024, Mona, wia her stage name be 'Mona 4 real' admit to conspiracy to receive moni wey dem tiff and also laundering moni from romance scams, bifor di US magistrate Sarah Cave. Na so she don spend one year inside jail for di US. For May 2025, Mona don return to Ghana afta she serve di one-year jail term. Pipo bin day suspect if she day connected to di latest arrests wia dey happen for di kontri but di social media influencer and musician don bounce back. She already release song wia she sing about di fact say if Pesin fall, dem gate to rise again - she use her experience for jail to produce di song wit she don shoot music video already.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Drunk plane passenger's violent outburst over being forced to sit next to 'fat' woman
An entitled plane passenger was caught having a drunken meltdown after she was forced to 'sit next to a f***ing fat lady' on a cross-country flight. Leanna Perry, 32, repeatedly pulled another female passenger's hair, spat in her face, and kicked her on a Southwest Airlines plane at LaGuardia Airport in New York before traveling to Kansas City early Monday morning. Several clips showed the woman, is a New York City artist who has worked with who high-end companies, screaming at the unidentified passenger about her weight and clothing. The 'intoxicated passenger' who had long black hair and was wearing a red baseball hat and an all-black outfit got verbally confrontational with the other woman before things turned physical. She then gripped the other woman's hair and screamed: 'Shut the f*** up, don't f***ing touch me!' Several people then stepped in, including two Southwest employees and another passenger, in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. A female employee then called another staff member on the phone and repeatedly asked the woman to let go of the other passenger's hair, but she refused to while flashing a cunning smile. The intoxicated passenger shouted: 'I'm not even touching her hair b****,' while she hung onto the woman's hair and grinned. A traveler who recorded the intense scene said the woman was so aggressive she even 'knocked the glasses off the southwest employee.' The witness added: 'When she first started saying stuff I called out "why don't you be nice?" She turned around and called me ugly a few times and that I could never get a boyfriend or have sex. I looked at her and said I've been married for almost 20 years lady.' After asking other staff to notify police of the incident, she shouted: '911!' with her arms held behind her back. Still holding the woman's hair, she yelled: 'Yeah, I'm sorry! I didn't want to sit next to a f**ing fat lady.' While others continued to try to get the woman to let go of the other passenger's hair, she shouted: 'You guys are already past the point of no return. You're already past the point of no return!' Once she finally released her hand from the woman's head, her hands were placed behind her back as a Southwest flight attendant stepped in and secured some kind of restraints on her wrists. The woman then said: 'Look at this fat lady. Look at this fat a** b****. She can't even, look, you can't even see her stomach,' she babbled on as the woman she was talking about sat in front of her. 'It's horrible. Look at her outfit. Look at this fat a** b****. Hilarious. You can't even show your mouth because you're embarrassed,' referring to the woman's face mask. The angry passenger then looked towards a man, also wearing a face mask, who was sitting next to the woman she repeatedly harassed. She said: 'Shut the f*** up!... Sorry, I can't hear you ugly a** f***ing dude who's never gonna get laid again.' Her comments became more intense as she shouted at a man who was trying to help the employees restrain her. The woman then said: 'Oh, I'm sorry black guy! My boyfriend's black so shut the f*** up. My boyfriend's f***ing a black guy, my boyfriend's a black, my boyfriend's black, my boyfriend's a f***ing black guy,' as she appeared to slur her words and stumble over the chair. She then picked her head up and sait directly at the woman she had been berating, getting saliva all over her face. Those holding her back then tried to move her away as one employee appeared to use the woman's hair as a way to shield her spit from reaching anyone. The member of staff said: 'Miss, please, we're not doing all that. We're not doing all that,' as the passenger replied: 'Shut the f*** up!' She continued to throw around profanities and talk poorly about the woman and the man sitting next to her. She said: 'Ugly a** b****... You never got laid in your life. Your boyfriend's d*** is like two inches big - that's embarrassing. 'Oh, so sorry about your boyfriend. That's horrible. That's horrible.' The crazy passenger then fell to the ground, planting her face in the aisle of the plane as she said: 'I can't breathe.' She then suddenly flipped around on the ground, shouting: 'Shut the f*** up I can't breathe,' as her hair covered her face. Her legs then flew in the air as she continued cursing while passengers and staff looked on. The angered woman said: 'Nobody's f***ing touching me! You're not letting me go motherf***er. You're corny as f***.' The woman she was harassing then said she couldn't 'get out,' to which she replied: 'Yeah you can't get out! You're f***ing fat as sh**,' as she kicked the lady. The woman and man then got out of their seats while staff dealt with the woman in the aisle. She appeared to cooperate for a moment, but then she started yelling and kicking the employees and other passengers who tried to help. The passenger was eventually escorted off the aircraft on a gurney and was not allowed to get back on the flight, a spokesperson with Southwest Airlines told The Daily Mail. The Port Authority Police Department was called around 1.10 am to a report of an 'intoxicated passenger,' a spokesperson with the Port Authority Police Department told The Daily Mail. She was transported to a hospital for an evaluation before being taken into custody at the New York City Department of Correction for aggravated assault. Southwest said: 'We commend our Team for their professionalism during the incident.' Prior to her dramatic outburst, Perry shared her work on her website and across social media, which she swiftly deleted after Daily Mail approached her for comment. She recently created pieces and worked for well-known brands, including Adidas, MAC, Maybelline, Hot Topic, and Shein, her accounts showed. Perry's portfolio also showed that she completed artwork for fashion designers Betsey Johnson and Nicole Miller. A year ago, she posted on her now-deleted LinkedIn page that she had started a job at makeup behemoth Maybelline New York. In her position, Perry said she would 'be designing the look of the brand across all e-commerce platforms' with the 'iconic NYC brand.' Perry lives in an airy one-bedroom high-rise apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that costs $4,000 a month to rent. She's been spotted enjoying the NYC fashion scene and has attended several runway shows and events, per social media posts. Perry is originally from the quaint Midwest city of Lee's Summit, Missouri - about 30 minutes from Kansas City - where she grew up with three brothers. Daily Mail contacted Perry and Maybelline New York for comment but did not immediately hear back.
