Mayweather found not guilty of harassment

Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. was found not guilty Wednesday of two counts of misdemeanor harassment stemming from an obscenity-laced confrontation with security guards over parking tickets.

After about a four-hour trial, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Diana Sullivan said evidence in the case, specifically statements by two former Southern Highlands guards, did not show "that these witnesses were in fear of their safety or in fear that Mr. Mayweather was actually going to go get his homies and take care of it or take care of them."

Sullivan said the evidence showed the 34-year-old former Olympic boxer could have been charged with disorderly conduct but not harassment.

But both guards, Miguel Burgos and Aaron Ryan, said Wednesday that they did not want to testify against Mayweather because they feared retaliation from the boxer.

The confrontation occurred about 5 p.m. Oct. 4 when Mayweather found the guards had ticketed at least four of his vehicles. They were parked in front of his $9.5 million, 12,000-square-foot mansion, described as being in a ritzy Southern Highlands gated community.

Mayweather told the guards that he had 29 vehicles and that they weren't allowed to touch his private property.

"These are my (expletive) cars, don't touch my (expletive) cars," the boxer told the guards, according to testimony.

The guards testified that Mayweather told them, "My homies have guns. If you want me to call them, they'd come over here and take care of it."

If he had been convicted, Mayweather would have faced up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Afterward, Mayweather, escorted by courthouse marshals, a bodyguard and others, would only say that he plans to donate $100,000 to breast cancer research. He did not say anything when asked about the case and his latest legal victory.

Mayweather's attorney, Richard Wright, said that the verdict was fair and that the "evidence showed the accusation was exaggerated. If this wasn't Floyd Mayweather, we wouldn't" be here.

District Attorney David Roger declined to comment on the verdict.

Sullivan said one key piece of testimony came from Burgos, who said he was "a little scared" after the confrontation with Mayweather. Sullivan suggested that was not indicative of someone feeling threatened. She went on to say that Burgos, a barrel-chested man and taller than Mayweather, was armed with a pistol and that there was no evidence the boxer had a gun.

Before the trial, Mayweather's defense team offered a resolution for the case's dismissal. Burgos said that Wright, in front of prosecutors, asked him whether he would want the case dismissed if Mayweather apologized, shook his hand and gave him tickets to his next fight.

Burgos said he felt the defense attorney was trying to "buy" his testimony. Burgos said he wanted no part of Mayweather, an apology, tickets or even the trial.

"I don't want to be here," he testified.

Ryan said he too didn't want to take the witness stand.

Both men said they felt pressure from their bosses to press the charges against Mayweather after initially signing letters that they did not want to proceed with a criminal case against the boxer.

Several weeks after the incident, both changed their tune and went to detectives to file new statements. Those statements were shown to be different, albeit, only by one word, from the original statements.

The guards' original handwritten statements showed Mayweather saying "my homies have guns. If you want me to call them, they'd come over here and take care of it."

In the later statement, the two guards recalled Mayweather saying "If you want me to call them, they'd come over here and take care of you."

Wright focused on the testimony that the two men felt pressure from their bosses to press criminal charges. Wright suggested that the change in statements led to a civil lawsuit. In January, the Estates at Southern Highlands Golf Club Community asked a judge to order Mayweather to abide by the community parking rules and to stop threatening security guards. According to court records, that case was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice in March.

Wright contended that the guards exaggerated their story after being pressured by their bosses.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Lisa Luzaich in her closing arguments said the guards' testimony showed they feared for their lives, so much so they didn't want to press charges nor testify at the trial.

Luzaich reminded Sullivan of Ryan's testimony that for weeks after the incident he didn't drive down Mayweather's block for fear of retaliation.

Mayweather may have won this bout with prosecutors, but he still faces a laundry list of legal troubles.

He is charged with misdemeanor battery, accused of poking and verbally abusing another Southern Highlands security guard over parking issues in November 2010. A bench trial in that case is set for next week.

Mayweather also faces a Dec. 21 preliminary hearing on felony charges, including coercion, grand larceny and robbery, in connection with a Sept. 9, 2010, incident with his three children and their mother, Josie Harris. He is free on $31,000 bail in that case.

Mayweather has been twice convicted after incidents involving violence toward women.

The boxer has been linked to, but not charged in, a shooting in August 2009 outside the Crystal Palace Skating Center on Boulder Highway near Flamingo Road.

Authorities allege that Ocie Harris, a Mayweather bodyguard, shot at a BMW containing Quincey Williams and Damein Bland as the car left the skating rink. The car was hit six times. The victims allege the shooting occurred after Mayweather threatened Williams' life over insulting text messages. No one was injured.

Harris faces six felonies, including attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon. A trial is set for Feb. 6.

Williams and Bland have filed a civil lawsuit against Mayweather over the incident.

There are several other lawsuits against Mayweather pending in civil court over allegations of his bodyguards assaulting people at casinos and nightclubs in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, Burgos told the Review-Journal after he finished testifying that if Mayweather ever fights Manny Pacquiao, considered by many to be the best fighter, pound for pound, in the world, he is pulling for the later.

"I used to root for that guy (Mayweather) but not any more," the 23-year-old Burgos said.

In his most recent fight in September, Mayweather knocked out Victor Ortiz to take the WBC welterweight championship and run his record to 42-0.

Contact Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.