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Since the Dark Side of the Ring episode on Chris Candido and Tammy Sytch, we have received numerous emails asking for an update on Sytch's legal issues. So, this will be a long post, but here is where everything currently stands:
FLORIDA - CRIMINAL:
Sytch will standing trial this fall, having been charged one count of DUI causing death (DUI Manslaughter, a felony in the third degree), one count of causing death while operating a vehicle with a suspended or revoked driver’s license (a felony in the third degree), four counts of DUI causing injury to a person, and three counts of DUI causing damage to property following the March 2022 death of 75-year old Julian Lasseter during a traffic incident in Ormond Beach, Florida. The DUI Manslaughter charge is the most serious, as it is considered a felony in Florida and if she is convicted, Sytch could face up to 30 years in prison, with a four year minimum sentence as well as up to $10,000 in fines.
The Ormond Beach Police Department's report on the 3/25/22 incident stated that Sytch (who did not possess a valid driver's license) was driving southbound on U.S. 1 just north of Granada Boulevard and failed to stop at 8:28 PM EST. The report cited that two different witnesses to the crash reported Sytch's car traveling at a "high rate of speed" before crashing into Lasseter’s stopped vehicle after Sytch failed to stop. Lasseter then crashed into a third vehicle. Lasseter passed away after being rushed to the hospital. The driver and passengers of the third vehicle were not hospitalized but all complained of neck, back, side and head injuries.
Back in August 2022, Sytch waived her right to a speedy trial "arising out of the criminal episode made the subject of this prosecution; specifically, the right to be tried within 175 days of her being taken into custody as provided by law and Rule 3.191, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure." At the time, Sytch was given "criminal indigent status", meaning that since she is without sufficient income to afford a lawyer for defense in her criminal case.
Depositions related to witnesses in the case, including those of law enforcement officers, are scheduled throughout the summer before the trial commences this Fall.
Prior to her arrest, Sytch publicly disavowed responsibility in the traffic incident that caused the death of Lasseter. When asked by a fan, "Question For You: How fast were you going when you slammed into the poor old guy stopped at a traffic light and killed him? His life ended for what reason? Were you on your way to a fire? or drunk? or high?"
Sytch responded, “"Hmmmabout 10 since I was slowing down to. Light. But he had a heart. Attack. Nothing to do with my seizure"
After being arrested in Florida, Sytch took to her Facebook account, writing "If ANYONE says ANYTHING negative about me, you will be blocked and NEVER unblocked. You don't know the real story so don't act like you're some f***ing journalist when all you do is type from your moms basement. Done."
Sytch was arrested on 5/6/22 and bonded out on $225,500 several days later. The State of Florida, alleging Sytch was a "menace to the community" filed a motion asking for Sytch to be remanded back to jail without bond as the case moved towards trial. During a hearing on 5/13/22, officers testified that at the time of the traffic fatality, Sytch's blood alcohol level was three and a half times over the legal limit and that an opened bottle of vodka was found in her vehicle. The night before Sytch was arrested, she was found intoxicated outside a bar and required to be taken to a hospital.
After Sytch was remanded back to jail in Florida, Pente commented on the court's decision to WKMG News 6 ClickOrlando, stating, "I think that this whole process. Everybody's been hurt, not just the family...they should have decided she was a threat to society before they granted a $225,000 bond and we pay $22,000."
Pente also told WESH TV that he felt "horrible for that guy's family" in regard to Lasseter but that the court should have made a decision before taking "$22,000 of my money” as the money Pente put up with the bail bondsman was not refundable.
Florida State Attorney R.J. Larizza from the Office of the State Attorney, Florida's 7th Circuit issued the following statement following Sytch's hearing:
"A deadly driver will reside behind bars until her case is resolved. A serious threat to the driving public has been removed."
Following the 5/31/22 hearing, Pente, spoke with The Daytona Beach News-Journal, stating Sytch, "...feels absolutely terrible. I can't emphasize it more. She just feels bad in general. Everybody's life's ruined." Pente also told the newspaper he had apologized to the Lasseter/Hill family.
Sytch has been incarcerated for over 385 days in Florida as of this writing.
There is scheduled to be a sounding of the docket against Sytch on 8/16 at 1:30 PM. Jury selection is set for 9/15.
Sytch's trial is slated for the week of 9/18 and is expected to take one week.
FLORIDA - CIVIL:
Sytch is currently a defendant in two civil cases in the State of Florida, both related to her DUI arrest.
The first, filed by the estate of Julian L. Lasseter, the man who was killed in the three car traffic incident involving a car driven by Sytch on 3/25/22 in Ormond Beach, Florida is against Sytch, her fiance, James Pente and Ultimate Motor Cars, LLC, which sold Sytch the car she was operating at the time of the incident.
On 1/9, Lasseter’s daughter Whitney Hill filed the motion requesting that the Court permit Ultimate Motor Cars be added as a defendant, which the court has agreed to. At the time, it was noted that Pente did not oppose the addition of the new defendant and that Sytch “has not filed a responsive pleading.” In that motion, Lasseter's estate stated that through discovery, they now believed that Ultimate Motor Cars, LLC “may bear” some liability in Lasseter’s passing.
The Amended version of the lawsuit noted that Sytch began the process of purchasing “a white 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class from ULTIMATE MOTOR CARS on or about February 3, 2022.” This would be just a few weeks before Sytch was arrested for DUI and driving with a suspended or revoked license on 2/24/22 in New Jersey. The suit alleges that Sytch paid Ultimate Motor Cars $8,000 in cash as a down payment with the remainder of the purchase to be financed “through a lending institution", stating:
“On or about March 14, 2022, Defendant SYTCH and Defendant PENTE applied as co-applicants to purchase the 2012 Mercedes-Benz from Defendant ULTIMATE MOTOR CARS.
Attached to the Sales Agreement for the 2012 Mercedes Benz was a Vehicle Bailment Agreement that stated: "Pending credit approval of consumer[s] by lending institution and completion of sales contraction...delivery of said vehicle by dealer is herby [sic] made to consumer[s] as a convenience to consumer[s]. . .said vehicle shall remain the property of the dealer." Please see the Bailment Agreement for Vehicle Delivery, attached hereto as Exhibit "A" (emphasis added). Both SYTCH and PENTE signed this Agreement.
On March 14, 2022, ULTIMATE MOTOR CARS permitted SYTCH to operate its vehicle while using a dealer tag. See §320.13 Florida Statutes.
ULTIMATE MOTOR CARS requested SYTCH's driver's license, and in response, SYTCH produced a government issued ID to ULTIMATE MOTOR CARS that was plainly marked "FOR IDENTIFICATION ONLY" with that ID having expired on January 22, 2022.
The identification card SYTCH produced to ULTIMATE MOTOR CARS not only was not a valid driver's license but was a clear indication to ULTIMATE MOTOR CARS that SYTCH did not have a valid driver's license. Despite this, ULTIMATE MOTOR CARS permitted SYTCH to operate its vehicle with a dealer tag when it had actual knowledge that SYTCH was not permitted to drive.
Eleven days later, on or about March 25, 2022, Defendant SYTCH was intoxicated and operating the 2012 Mercedes Benz owned by Defendant ULTIMATE MOTOR CARS traveling southbound on N. Yonge Street, at or near the intersection of W. Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Florida.
Defendant SYTCH operated the motor vehicle with the consent, either express or implied, of Defendant ULTIMATE MOTOR CARS. “
Based on the Amended lawsuit, Lasseter’s family contends that the actual ownership of the car falls with Ultimate Motor Cars and are seeking to hold them responsible for Sytch having possession of the car when by the letter of the law, she should not have been able to drive, much less purchase a vehicle.
The Ormond Beach Police Department's report on the 3/25/22 incident stated that Sytch (who, as noted, did not possess a valid driver's license) was driving southbound on U.S. 1 just north of Granada Boulevard and failed to stop at 8:28 PM EST. The report cited two different witnesses to the crash as reporting that Sytch's car was traveling at a "high rate of speed" before crashing into Lasseter’s stopped vehicle after Sytch failed to stop. Lasseter then crashed into a third vehicle. Lasseter passed away after being rushed to the hospital. The driver and passengers of the third vehicle were not hospitalized but all complained of neck, back, side and head injuries.
The Amended lawsuit alleges negligence by Sytch and Pente, vicarious liability by Ultimate Motor Cars and negligence by Ultimate Motor Cars. The amended lawsuit requested the court "enter judgment against the Defendants for compensatory damages, interest where applicable, costs, and requests a trial by jury on all issues so triable."
Beyond a motion to dismiss, Sytch has not responded to the lawsuit.
Pente previously responded on 5/23/22, denying any negligence on his part and demanding that Lasseter's estate bring forth "strict proof" for that claim, denying he was responsible for Tammy Sytch’s actions, that he is liable for the incident and as you might expect, denies all of the allegations brought against him. His attorneys laid out 12 potential defenses at the time. The Lasseter estate had previously argued that Pente was the owner of the car, which could not be the case if it was technically owned by Ultimate Motor Cars. The issue regarding the ownership seems to arise from the police report from the traffic incident, which listed Pente as the owner as his insurance information was in the car.
There are no current hearings set in the matter as Utimate Motor are currently arguing their standing and potential culpability before the court.
***
A second civil lawsuit was filed against Sytch on 3/21 in regard to the traffic incident that caused the passing of Julian Lasseter. In that case, Jana Olivova, a passenger in another car that was impacted during the incident, filed a civil suit seeking in excess of $50,000.
In the lawsuit, Olivova is alleging, "As a direct and proximate result of the negligence of Defendant, TAMARA SYTCH, Plaint iff, JANA OLIVOVA, suffered bodily injury including a permanent injury to the body as a whole, pain and suffering of both a physical and mental nature, disability, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, inconvenience, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, aggravation of an existing condition, expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing care and treatment, loss of earnings, loss of ability to earn money and loss of ability to lead and enjoy a normal life. The losses are either permanent or continuing and Plaintiff will suffer the losses in the future. Plaintiff, JANA OLIVOVA also suffered other damages, including, but not limited to, loss of the use of the subject vehicle, damage to the subj ect vehicle. Plaintiff, JANA OLIVOVA, will suffer or incur the injuries, expenses and impairment in the future."
Beyond Sytch, Olivova is also suing Sytch's fiance James Pente, alleging he was the owner of the vehicle Sytch was operating. The police report from the incident listed that as the case, but the aforementioned civil suit brought by the Lasseter estate uncovered that Pente (who claimed all along he did not own the car) was still technically owned by the dealership Sytch had acquired the car from even though she did not have a valid driver's license at the time. One would think that if and when Olivova's attorneys discover the same, they will file an amended pleading.
Olivova is also suing Geico as the lawsuit alleges both Sytch and Pente were uninsured at the time of the incident. It would appear that would be her own insurance.
None of the defendants have responded to the lawsuit as of this writing and there is no court record that indicates they have even been served.
PENNSYLVANIA
Court records indicate Sytch currently owes $5,804.12 (and counting) to Carbon County, PA with the last payment of $120 paid back on 6/15/20.
Sytch’s legal issues in Pennsylvania stemmed from four different arrests between 2015 and 2016:
*On 5/30/15, Sytch was stopped by Mahoning Township, PA police after being seen driving erratically into a Wal-Mart parking lot. Testing showed she had a 0.25 percent Blood-Alcohol level at the time of her arrest.
*On 6/1/15, Sytch was pulled over after her car crossed the solid center yellow line several times, then entered oncoming traffic on Interchange Road in Lehighton, PA. Sytch was unable to provide proof of insurance or a driver’s license and was identified only after authorities checked records. Trooper Jonathan Lazarchick of the Pennsylvania State Police reported that her eyes were bloodshot and glassy and that Sytch smelled like alcohol. Authorities discovered an open bottle of Coors Light in the passenger side of the vehicle as well as another eleven unopened. The open cap of the Coors Light was on the floor of her passenger's side. Sytch claimed she had been drinking the night before, was driving to pick up milk and eggs and when asked to get out of the vehicle, staggered, had problems with her balance and needed to lean on her car to maintain her balance. Her blood-alcohol content was 0.3 percent.
*On 6/20/15, Sytch crashed her car into a ditch in Towamensing Township at 10:40 PM, claiming to the responding authorities that her GPS had told her to make a "sudden turn", which caused her to turn wide and end up in the ditch. Sytch told authorities that she was unable to back the car back out. Cpl. Shawn Noonan of the Pennsylvania State Police observed the odor of alcohol and bloodshot eyes. He requested Sytch take a field sobriety test, but she claimed to be "in too much pain due to her recently blacking out and falling down the steps." She was placed under arrest for DUI and was given a breathalyzer test back at police barracks. The results of that test were 0.078 percent.
Sytch would later claim on social media, in response to PWInsider.com's reporting of 6/20/15 arrest, that she was not arrested for DUI when she crashed her car because she had a "seizure." However, Sytch pleaded guilty to DUI in all three cases, as well as one count of driving without a license. The court dismissed the lesser charges in each case as part of the guilty plea.
During a July 2016 interview with Bill Apter, Sytch stated that she agreed to the guilty plea because she was "blackout drunk" during what she termed the worst relapse of her life. Sytch told Apter she legitimately could not remember anything from the Pennsylvania arrests. Since she could not testify in court about what happened and knowing the police had video footage of her in an inebriated state, Sytch stated a decision was made to plead guilty as part of an agreement. In the interview with Apter, Sytch had praised Carbon County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania Judge Joseph T. Matika for being so lenient with her and allowing her to do the time in rehab as opposed to potential jail time.
On 8/18/16, Judge Matika sentenced Sytch to 97 days in prison, giving her credit for 95 days spent in rehab. The final 60 days were paid for by World Wrestling Entertainment, who had reversed a previous stance that cut her off from assistance via their Wellness Policy after Sytch criticized the choice of rehab facilities WWE had chosen to send her, on their dime, in a DVD interview. Sytch was also given two days' credit for two days spent in jail.
At the time, Sytch was also sentenced to five years of probation, including a required bi-weekly alcohol testing, 125 hours of community service and $2,100 in fines. Sytch was released without spending a day in prison but was warned by Judge Matika that if she got into trouble at any point during her five-year probation, there would be consequences.
Just 18 days into that five year probationary period, Sytch was arrested in Northampton County, PA. In that case, she plead guilty to driving without a license, driving an unregistered vehicle, operating a vehicle without required financial responsibility (no insurance), displaying plate card in improper vehicle (license plates placed on a car to which they didn't belong), operating a vehicle without valid inspection, and driving without Evidence of an Emission Inspection, which is required in State of PA. Sytch was also fined $1,496.45 as part of an agreement that saw Prosecutors drop the most severe charge against her, receiving stolen property. Prosecutors in that case also opted to drop a charge of fraudulent use or removal of registered licensed plates as part of the agreement.
Sytch was rushed from her then-home in Palmerton, PA to Palmerton Hospital on 9/12/16. That day, she was charged with possession of alcohol as well as being under the influence of alcohol - both of which violated the zero tolerance of her probation.
On her Facebook page at the time, Sytch referred to her hospitalization as being related to her pancreas. In Sytch's autobiography A Star Shattered, which was released in February 2016, Sytch wrote that past health issues involving pancreatitis were brought on by her heavy drinking and nearly led to her death in a previous incident. In the book, Sytch wrote that she had been warned by doctors that if she did not stop, it would lead to her death.
Sytch announced via social media that she had been released from the hospital on 9/20/16. Police sources in Palmerton, PA later confirmed to PWInsider.com that just three days later, 9/23/16, Sytch was once again transported to Palmerton Hospital after authorities were called to her home. Court records cite that on that date, Sytch was again charged with being under influence of alcohol, a third violation of the zero-tolerance policy of her probation August 2016 probation. Shortly thereafter, Sytch was taken into custody (apparently from the hospital) and incarcerated at Carbon County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania.
It was less than six weeks after her five-year probation began.
Sytch remained incarcerated for five months before being paroled in February 2017 after she agreeing to, once again, attend a WWE-financed rehab. Upon her release, Sytch was ordered to directly report to an in-patient drug rehab located in Hanover, PA, to successfully complete the program and then complete any after-care recommendations. Sytch was also ordered to report to the Carbon County Probation Office upon completion of the program and to perform an additional 75 hours of community service. At this point, she was now ordered to perform a total of 200 hours of community service.
According to court records, Sytch was informed at the time of her February 2017 parole that the court would have a "zero-tolerance" threshold for the possession, control and consumption of alcoholic beverages and/or non-prescribed medication and as well as "zero-tolerance" for any missed urine screens without a legitimate excuse. Sytch was also warned that a failure to adhere to the Judge's order would result in a petition to revoke her parole.
It appeared to be the beginning of the end of this chapter of Sytch's life.
It wasn't.
Just a little over six months later on 8/22/17, a petition was filed requesting that Judge Matika revoke Sytch's parole. He did. A bench warrant for Sytch's arrest was issued the following day, but officials had been unable to serve the warrant and apprehend Sytch as she was no longer in Pennsylvania.
Instead, Sytch was now residing in New Jersey, where the arrests continued (SEE BELOW). While she was being processed for those charges, New Jersey authorities learned that Sytch was a fugitive from justice due to the bench warrant out of her arrest in Pennsylvania stemming from her February 2017 parole being revoked. At the same time, Sytch had been making independent bookings and autograph signing appearances all over the United States prior, including, incredibly, a signing in Philadelphia, PA in January 2018, just a 90 minute drive from Carbon County, where an active warrant was out for her arrest.
Sytch was transported back to Carbon County Correctional Facility. In March 2018, an order was issued by Judge Matika to remove Sytch from Pennsylvania's Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program, a pre-trial diversion program for individuals with limited or no prior criminal record who are carefully screened by the District Attorney's office for admission. This was a program designed to be rehabilitative, as opposed to punishing, in its focus towards defendants.
Sytch remained incarcerated at Carbon County until 10/09/18, where she was again released under probation and agreed to the terms of a payment plan towards financial restitution to the State. The money noted owed in PA is from that restitution plan.
NEW JERSEY
Sytch was charged with DUI on 1/23/18 at 8:53 PM. She was later charged with DUI and Leaving the Scene of an Accident following a 2/2/18 incident where she was in a car accident at 8:52 AM, allegedly fleeing the scene of the accident. When she failed to appear in court regarding those two DUI arrests, she was arrested in New Jersey again and charged with multiple charges of Contempt - Disobedience/resistance.
On Saturday 2/23/19, Sytch was pulled over at 6:30 PM on Dupont Avenue in Seaside Heights. In that incident, Sytch was arrested for driving while intoxicated, the sixth known time since 2015 Sytch had been arrested for such an offense. That evening, Sytch was also given a summons for having an open alcohol container in a motor vehicle, for consumption of alcohol in a Motor Vehicle, reckless driving, failure to stop at a stop sign, driving the wrong way on a one-way street, driving with a suspended driver’s license, and careless driving.
Sytch was released by the Seaside Heights Police Department, but was then immediately placed into the custody of the Holmdel Police Department as she now had outstanding warrants and fines in the jurisdictions of the Holmdel, NJ Police Department ($1,500) and Knowlton, NJ Police Department ($1,000) stemming from her January and February 2018 arrests in the Garden State. Sytch was now charged with Contempt of court - Disobedience/Resistance of Court Command in relation to each of those warrants.
Sytch remained incarcerated in Monmouth County Correctional Facility in Freehold, NJ until being transferred back to Pennsylvania on 3/20/19. This would make the second time in as many years that Sytch was extradited from New Jersey's Monmouth County to Pennsylvania's Carbon Count because Sytch had violated her parole.
Court records indicated that Sytch had missed a scheduled drug test on 2/11/19 and failed to report as directed to her parole officer. She had also failed to maintain a stable residence or report her whereabouts. This triggered a bench warrant for her arrest in Pennsylvania on 2/15/29. That same day, the Carbon County Probation Department filed a motion to revoke her October 2018 parole, so when she was arrested in New Jersey, she was handed back over to PA, where she remained until she was granted parole again on 2/21/20.
Five months later in New Jersey, Sytch was arrested on the morning of 7/13/20, charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle during a second license suspension, Eluding a Police Officer, and Contempt/Violation of a Domestic Violence Restraining Order. That arrest immediately triggered, yet again, the State of Pennsylvania seeking to revoke her parole. PA court records indicated that until her 7/13/20 arrest, Sytch had been adhering to her parole requirements, including monthly payments of financial restitution.
With Sytch incarcerated and facing charges in Monmouth County Correctional, Pennsylvania did not move to extradite her for a third time. Instead, they rescinded the bench warrant on 5/14/21. Sytch was released on 6/9/21 from Monmouth County, stating the same month that she had resolved all of her legal matters in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Sytch was arrested on 2/24/22 and hit with eleven different charges before Keansburg Municipal Court in New Jersey, including Operating under the influence of liquor or drug, Driving after Driver’s License/Registration suspended/revoked, Careless Driving - likely to endanger person or property, Reckless Driving, Failure to wear seat equipment - responsibility of driver, Driving without a license, Failure to possess a driver's license, Failure to possess driving registration, Failure to possess an insurance card, Failure to install interlock or drive a car without an interlock, and Operating a motor vehicle during a license suspension - second violation.
Beyond those charges, Sytch was also facing charges of allegedly threatening to kill an "intimate partner" while raising a pair of scissors "in the air towards the victim" during a domestic dispute that led to an arrest on 1/13/22, also in New Jersey. The police report for Sytch's January arrest stated that she did this in clear view of a police officer who witnessed the incident. The arrest report also stated that Sytch "appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol" during the altercation. Her "intimate partner" was not injured. In that incident, Sytch was charged with two charges of illegally possessing a weapon (the scissors) and one charge of terroristic threats, listed as "occurring during a state of emergency." She was released from Monmouth County Correctional on 1/14/22 after a hearing where she was ordered to have weekly check-ins with the court and that she not possess any weapons.
Sytch's January 2022 arrest in New Jersey was preceded by additional issues in December 2021 in Florida, where Sytch was on vacation to celebrate her 49th birthday, according to postings on her Facebook page. After online records indicated she had been arrested in the Sunshine State, Daytona Beach Police confirmed to PWInsider.com at the time that their officers indeed had several contacts with Sytch on Saturday 12/18/21, the first being a call related to an alleged domestic violence incident and the second being a check into her well being. Neither contact resulted in an arrest, but Volusia County Corrections in Florida did, at one point, list Sytch as being booked into their facility on Saturday 12/18 at 11:14 PM Eastern and then being released the following day, Sunday 2/19 at 3:45 PM Eastern. However, the Daytona Beach Police Department stated to PWInsider.com that Sytch was never, ever arrested and that they had no arrest report in their records related to either of the aforementioned contacts.
Video of one interaction with police dated 12/27/21 was later released publicly with an officer suggesting Sytch get sober and get away from "her boyfriend" after she called and requested he be removed from her hotel room after going into his pants looking for a Xanax and instead finding what the officer believed to be crystal meth. In the interaction, Sytch did not remember previously meeting the officer, who had recently brought her to a hospital, noting that when she gets "black out drunk" she doesn't remember anything.
Sytch's legal cases in New Jersey will not likely move forward until her criminal case in Florida is resolved.
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