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San Diego Real Estate Fraud Scandal

My name is RJ Salerno, President and owner of: ACE Carpet Care based in the state of Texas.  This case began in Southern California in mid June 2006, when my nephew Ettore C. Schroeder came to me to inform me that he might have fallen victim to Assad "SAM" Suleiman and his wife Rosa Barraza. I have a background in real estate of more then 15 years going back to the early 90's. As this case continues in State and Federal court against Sam Suleiman and his wife we will until a satisfactory verdict rendered of these criminal activities we will continue to seek justice.





Downloadable Original Complaint

He plead guilty to beating an investigative reporter and today Sam Suleiman learned he'll spend a year behind bars.   Suleiman was apologetic but also accused FOX 6 reporter, John Mattes, of going after him personally.

"He was shattering my dream in front of my eyes," charged Suleiman.

Mattes was reporting on the real estate investor's deals. Deals in which people claimed they'd been swindled out of millions by Suleiman.

Mattes insists his investigation of the real estate investor is not personal, "It's over. Justice is done. He tried to silence me. He failed."

Mattes says his ribs were cracked and his eyes were gouged, and Suleiman stalked him and called him late at night.

"I don't have to look over my shoulder anymore and that's a good thing," Mattes said. 

Brian Phillips kept Suleiman from harming Mattes even further.

The beating began after Suleiman and his wife arrived at Phillips' home. Mattes and Phillips were meeting to discuss the damage to Phillip's yard that Suleiman allegedly caused during construction of the building that borders Phillips' yard.

Phillips says he'll likely never get back the 20-thousand dollars in damages to his yard and legal fees, but at least for now Suleiman won't be harming anyone else.

"365 days is nothing to this man. He deserves as many years as possible behind bars with police supervision. Because he will not learn his lesson," said Phillips.

Mattes on the Factor 7/19/07 John Mattes appears on the O'Reilly Factor to talk about the sentencing of Sam Suleiman and Rosa Barraza.

Winners and Losers 7/23/07 John Mattes appears on the MSNBC show "Live with Dan Abrams." Sam Suleiman is named the week's big loser after being sentenced to jail for one year for the assualt on Mattes.

Rosa Barraza Sentenced 7/6/07 Rosa Barraza addresses the court before being sentenced to 30 days of community service for her role in the assault of FOX6 reporter John Mattes. Runs 6:13

Kerry Steigerwalt Defends Sam Suleiman  7/6/07 Defense lawyer Kerry Steigerwalt addresses the court at Sam Suleiman's sentencing for the assault of FOX6 reporter John Mattes. Runs 13 min.

Sam Suleiman Speaks in Court 7/6/07 Much to the surprise of those in the courtroom, including the judge, when given the chance to speak in his own defense before being sentenced, Sam Suleiman lashes out at John Mattes, the man he assaulted. Runs 5:30 7/6/07

John Mattes Addresses the Court 7/6/07 John Mattes responds to the comments Sam Suleiman made in court during Suleiman's sentencing hearing. Runs 1:25

B. K. Phillip's Addresses the Court 7/6/07 Brian Phillips asks the judge for the stiffest penalty possible for the man who attacked John Mattes on camera and made Phillips life miserable for past two years. Runs 10 min.

Testimony Against Sam Suleiman 7/6/07 B. K. Phillips' wife talks about how negatively Sam Suleiman's actions have affected her family's life and asks the judge for an appropriate sentence. Runs 2:15 7/6/07

Judges' Decision in Suleiman Case 7/6/07 Judge John S. Einhorn calls Sam Suleiman a bully and that he belonged in prison, but being bound by the terms of a plea bargain he gave Suleiman the strongest sentence he could, one-year in jail. Runs 4 mins.

John Mattes' Reaction to Sentencing 7/6/07 John Mattes sits down to comment on the one-year sentence given out to Sam Suleiman, whose assault of Mattes was seen by millions of people around the world. Runs 1:45

Interview with B. K. Phillips 7/6/07 The man who came to John Mattes' aid when John was assaulted, reacts to the one-year sentence gives to John's attacker, Sam Suleiman. Runs 6:50

In return for the guilty pleas, the district attorney's office dropped several other charges against the couple, which offered the hope of probation instead of prison time for Suleiman.

"I am very happy with the verdict," Suleiman said as he exited the courtroom. "I think it was a fair verdict."

"What kind of message does this send to violent criminals," questioned John Mattes at the time. "You stalk me, rip my face off, and you get probation? Go figure."

Mattes received lacerations to his face and head, as well as a cracked rib when he was attacked by the Suleiman's last September.  The assault was caught on camera, by FOX6 photographer Dennis Waldrop.

"Mr. Mattes, he deserves to move on.  Mr. Suleiman, his business has been impacted and affected terribly. He wants to move on," said Sam Suleiman's attorney, Kerry Steigerwalt.

But it appears Sam Suleiman was not moving on. He had these final words for the FOX6 camera crew outside court. "It's going to be something where accountability will be carried over, not just to John Mattes but to the supervisors of FOX6."

Mattes Attacker Pleads Guilty 4/20/07 The man who attacked FOX6 Investigative Reporter John Mattes has admitted to the crime. Kristine Lazar tells us how he will most likely remain a free man. Plus, another woman files a restraining order against Sam Suleiman.

RESTRAINING ORDER SOUGHT

The elderly, female owner of a San Diego bail bonds business is also suing Sam Suleiman and Roza Barraza.  In May, she asked the court for a temporary restraining order.  

She charged that Suleiman refused to pay the bond premium and later entered into a real estate transaction with the couple, selling her the Suleiman's home at a reduced price.  The suit explains that the Suleiman's then moved into the woman's old home but failed to pay the agreed upon rent.

The suit alleges that Suleiman became increasingly aggressive and threatening and at one point, in the presence of Rosa Barraza, threatened to kill the woman if she did not give him her property in exchange for Suleiman's old house.

She alleges that Suleiman claimed to be connected to the Mexican Mafia and "knew how to make people disappear."   In a later phone threat, Suleiman is alleged to have threatened to slit her throat.   Read the Court Document

Sulieman on the Stand 5/21/07 The man who made international headlines for beating up John Mattes, found himself on the stand again as a woman accuses him of extortion.

Suleiman Foreclosure 11/20/07 Sam Suleiman, the man accused of attacking Fox 6 reporter John Mattes, has had one of his properties go into foreclosure.

Assad "Sam" Suleiman, 36 and his wife, Rosa Barraza, 33, face a host of felony charges stemming from the alleged assault of Fox 6 News reporter John Mattes on September 5, 2006.

Mattes was doing a follow-up interview on an alleged real estate scheme involving Suleiman which Mattes first exposed in July.  He was interviewing a neighbor of a Suleiman owned property, Brian (B.K.) Phillips.

One of the common misconceptions surrounding the assault is the belief that John Mattes was trespassing on Suleiman's property when the assault occured.   In fact, John was conducting the interview with B.K. on private property next door to a building owned by Suleiman. 

In the image above, the relative positions of Mattes, Phillips and FOX 6 cameraman Dennis Waldrop are shown as the interview was conducted on the private property where Phillips lives. 

The red building in the background is the property owned by Sam Suleiman.  At no time did Mattes, Waldrop or Phillips approach that property.  When Rosa Barraza and Sam Suleiman arrived, they entered the private property where the assault occured.

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September 5, 2006  Watch Video For the first time on the web, this is the complete, unedited video of the entire assault.  From the arrival of Rosa Barraza to the arrival of the police, this is what happened that day.

Suleiman's defense attorney, Kerry Steigerwalt, has made the claim in court that John Mattes invited Rosa onto the private property.  This absolutely did not happen. 

Steigerwalt has latched onto a bit of audio heard on the videotape prior to Rosa's arrival.   On the tape, Mattes and Phillips pause in the interview as a friend of Phillips arrives on the scene.  Phillips calls out to this man by name.  He is the owner of a nearby crepe shop.  They ask the man to come over.  The video tape stops as the three men talked.  

The camera starts again approximately 18 minutes later when Rosa appears on the scene.  Dennis Waldrop turned on the camera and started shooting.   The two videoclips are butted back to back on the tape but they are not related.   

September 6, 2006  Watch Video The day following the assault, B.K. Phillips sat down with FOX 6 reporter Jenny Hamel to describe what happened.  Runs 25 min.

The assault case goes to trial in May, 2007.

Earlier Coverage:

FOX 6 complete testimony from the Pre-Trial Hearing - Oct.  27 - 30

This footage remains unedited so expect some rough camera moves. Also note that the video of the alleged assault was shown unedited in the courtroom. It contains language which many will consider offensive.

Day One - Friday, October 27, 2006

	John Mattes on the Witness Stand - Direct Examination John Mattes describes the assault from Sam Suleiman.
	John Mattes - Cross Examination The direct examination of John Mattes is concluded at which point defense attorney Kerry Steigerwalt launches into the cross exam.
	Witness Douglas Moranville Describes the Alleged Assault Douglas Moranville was working across the street from the scene of the altercation.  He intervened when the alleged assault occured.

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Day Two - Monday, October 30, 2006

	SDPD Officer Lawrence Roser Testifies Officer Lawrence Roser is a 22 year veteran of the SDPD. He arrested Sam Suleiman in an incident which happened after Suleiman was released on bail for the assault of John Mattes.
	Officer Roser - Cross Examination Officer Roser is questioned by Suleiman's attorney, Kerry Steigerwalt
	SDPD Officer Greg Becker Testifies 9 year veteran of the SDPD, Greg Becker responded to a call to assist Officer Roser during an incident involving Sam Suleiman on September 22, 2006.
	Witness Brian Phillips Testifies Brian Phillips was being interviewed by John Mattes when the attacked happened.  Phillips intervened and wrestled Suleiman to the ground, pinning him in place till the police arrived.
	Brian Phillips Testimony Concludes Brian Phillips concludes his testimony.
	Closing Arguments and Ruling The District Attorney and the attorneys for Sam Suleiman and Rosa Barraza argue their points.  The judge decides that there is enough evidence for Barazza and Suleiman to stand trial.
	Pete Fuentes' Interview with Kerry Steigerwalt Sam Suleiman's attorney answers questions from FOX 6 reporter Pete Fuentes after the judge's decision to send his client to trial.

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The Suleiman Timeline

	7/25/06 - Claims of ID Theft A local man claims his personal information was stolen and used to purchase several homes. In an exclusive report FOX 6's John Mattes has uncovered just how the suspects operate.
	7/26/06 - Real Estate Scam Follow Up They use your identity to buy homes and never pay the mortgage. After having exposed this scam, Fox 6 investigative reporter John Mattes caught up with the man some say is behind it.
	7/31/06 - Former Employee Comes Forward A former employee of Sam Suleiman steps forward to shed some light on the real estate scam.
	9/05/06 - Suleiman Attacks John Mattes - Part 1 John Mattes was viciously attacked by a man who had been making threats for weeks. The attackers are Sam Suleiman and his wife Rosa.
	9/05/06 - Suleiman Attacks John Mattes - Part 2 The assault left John Mattes bloody and sent him to the emergency room but John Mattes was able to share his thoughts on the conflict.
	9/06/06 - Suleiman Released Within 24 hours every news outlet in the country requested and aired the footage. While the nation watched, the attackers posted bail and were back making threats.
	9/06/06 - Suleiman Threats Continue We showed you a man and woman caught on tape assaulting FOX 6 reporter John Mattes. They have posted bail and their reign of terror appears to continue.
	9/07/06 - Interview with Citizen Hero B.K. Phillips, the man who saved John Mattes when he was viciously attacked, shares his story and says our cameraman, Dennis Waldrop, was also a hero that day.
	9/07/06 - Suleiman's Past Sam Suleiman apparently has a long history of threatening people. At one point even his wife wanted him to stay away from her. FOX 6's Jenny Hamel has the story of Sam Suleiman's past.
	9/08/06 - Suleiman Appears on MSNBC The video of John being attacked is among the most popular on the internet. Now John's attacker is firing back.
	9/12/06 - Suleiman in Court One week after they attacked John Mattes, Sam Suleiman and his wife Rosa went before a judge for the first time. They are facing years behind bars and a host of felonies for the attack.
	9/22/06 - Suleiman Arrested - Part 1 Sam Suleiman violated a restraining order and barricaded himself and his young step-daughter in his La Jolla property for hours.
	9/22/06 - Suleiman Arrested - Part 2 He was caught on tape attacking our investigative reporter and now Sam Suleiman is behind bars again.
	10/10/06 - Suleiman Tenants Talk Tenants in buildings owned by Sam Suleiman complain about the poor conditions of their apartments.
	11/09/06 - Suleiman Court Appearance Sam Suleiman and his wife Rosa were given a court date for their trial on the videotaped assault of FOX 6 reporter John Mattes.  The trial is set for February 13, 2007.
	11/09/06  Suleiman Sends a Message Sam Suleiman delivered a message for FOX 6 and reporter John Mattes after his court appearance on the assault matter.