From Delray Beach Restraining Order To Major Libel, Slander Suit, This Case Is Decades in The Making…
DELRAY BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Palm Beach County man has filed a sweeping lawsuit against his older brother, accusing him of decades of physical abuse, financial exploitation and a scheme to isolate their elderly mother in order to control her fortune. Robert A. Poczatek’s complaint, just filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, names John Murray Poczatek as defendant and makes several allegations, including defamation, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, civil conspiracy and exploitation of a vulnerable adult. According to the lawsuit, John holds power of attorney over the brothers’ mother, Eileen G. Poczatek, an elderly North Palm Beach resident described in the filing as financially well-off and vulnerable under Florida law.
The complaint obtained by BocaNewsNow.com traces back to childhood, claiming John subjected Robert to what he called “Tuesday and Thursday beating days” — a scheduled pattern of physical abuse that, according to the filing, sometimes played out in front of friends. More recently, the lawsuit claims John falsely accused Robert of stealing roughly $200,000 in jewelry from their mother’s apartment, jewelry the complaint says John himself had removed for appraisal. Robert claims the false accusation was spread to relatives and used to justify cutting him off from his mother, whom he says he’s now seen only once in about three years. The suit also alleges John and his adult son, Tyler, threatened Robert’s life, including a text message allegedly stating John knew where Robert lived and was “coming for” him, prompting Robert to report the matter to North Palm Beach police and seek a protective order in Delray Beach.
Beyond the personal allegations, the lawsuit accuses John of a long pattern of shortchanging Robert on family business dealings, including the sale of properties tied to All Island Truck Leasing Corp. and Poz Enterprise, and converting Robert’s boat equity toward the purchase of John’s own yacht. Robert claims he’s suffered serious health consequences as a result of the alleged conduct, including heart failure requiring a pacemaker, PTSD, psychiatric hospitalizations and a permanent disability determination from the Social Security Administration. The lawsuit asks the court to strip John of his power of attorney over Eileen Poczatek and hand her affairs to an independent fiduciary, arguing John is actively selling off her assets.
Robert is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, a court-ordered accounting of his mom’s assets, and injunctions barring further contact and false statements We note that the allegations outlined in the 43-page complaint — published below — are only one side of the case, presented by Robert’s attorney, Neil Tygar. John Murray Poczatek has not yet filed a response.
