Company that’s buying refinery site claims Richard Chichetti illegally trespassed at Gadsden facility, then defamed the company to city officials
By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor
A Gadsden-based company, CDS Manufacturing, has filed a lawsuit against former St. Marks City Commissioner Richard Chichetti claiming he and his wife went to the company’s Gretna facility and took photos – and then warned city officials of possible problems if the city went through with selling the old Seminole Refinery site to CDS.
Chichetti and his wife reportedly visited the Gretna facility on June 6. On June 12, CDS filed a no trespass against Chichetti and sent a cease-and-desist letter through Tallahassee attorney Don Pumphrey. “Your intent does not appear appear to be innocent nor in good faith but to interefere with multiple business relationships and/or slander Mr. Sembler and/or CDS Manufacturing Inc.,” the letter states, referring to CDS President Clayton Sembler.
A week later, a lawsuit was filed in Gadsden Circuit Court by CDS against Chichetti for trespass, tortious interference with business relationships, and violation of trade secret acts, and defamation.
The 8-page complaint, filed in Gadsden Circuit Court in Quincy, claims that CDS has clients engaged in operations related to national security and “takes measures to protect trade secret and confidential information on the CDS by inter alia, monitoring the property with a security system and implementing policies that ban photographs and videogrpahy of the CDS property without permission.” There are also “No Trespassing” signs on the property.
A lawsuit only tells one side of the story. Contacted by phone, Chichetti said he has consulted an attorney but did not want to comment.
