DUI Millionaire Who Adopted His Girlfriend Settles Civil Lawsuit For $46 Million
April 19 2012, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
DUI manslaughter millionaire John Goodman has agreed to pay his victim’s family $46 million to settle a civil lawsuit, RadarOnline.com is reporting.
The Florida polo mogul was convicted last month of the DUI manslaughter of 23-year-old engineering graduate Scott Wilson.
He’s going to be sentenced on April 30 but the Palm Beach Post reports that the wealthy businessman will pay Wilson’s family the multi-million dollar sum rather than go through another court case even though he went to extraordinary lengths to hold onto his fortune.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Goodman adopted his longtime girlfriend, Heather Laruso Hutchins, 42, as a way to protect his $300 million estate from a potential lawsuit.
Goodman's lawyers are now pleading to Judge Jeffrey Colbath to release their client while he appeals his conviction.
Court documents show that $6 million of the total sum going to Wilson’s mother Lili will be stumped up by The Player’s Club where Goodman got drunk before he crashed into the victim’s car.
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The remainder will be paid by the 48-year-old’s insurance company.
The money will be split between Lili and her ex-husband William Wilson, Scott’s dad.
Lili’s lawyer Christian Searcy says Goodman was a “desperate man grabbing at any straw” by using the substantial payout as a way to keep himself out of prison.
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