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As of February 1, 2026, all of the cases listed below remain open and active and collectively plead damages exceeding $60 million.
A federal complaint filed in January 2026 in the United States District Court alleges that David J. Heil and his associates operated an interstate racketeering enterprise in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act RICO, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961–1968. The complaint alleges repeated predicate acts of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, bank fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1344, money laundering under 18 U.S.C. § 1956, obstruction of justice under 18 U.S.C. § 1503, and extortion through interstate threats under 18 U.S.C. § 875(d), carried out through insider controlled entities to divert property proceeds, falsify lender certifications, conceal appraisals, destroy records, and self-deal assets at below-market values while excluding a co-owner from control and distributions. Based on documented transfers and concealed equity, the complaint alleges damages of over $38 million, with additional recovery sought through equitable relief and other remedies authorized under RICO.
David Heil is accused of aiding a scheme to defraud investors in a North Carolina self-storage venture by conspiring with Patriot Capital LLC to sell the property for $1.15 million, its cost basis, despite it being worth over $4 million. According to the complaint filed in Ohio, the sale stripped Patriot SS 300 LLC of its only asset, nullified contractual buyout rights, and funneled benefits to the defendants through hidden interests and side deals. The lawsuit brings claims for fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, accounting, expulsion of Patriot Capital as a member, declaratory relief for removal of managers, fraudulent conveyance, civil theft, tortious interference, civil conspiracy, and piercing the corporate veil.
After learning that properties owned by Gator State Storage TB LLC had been sold to insider controlled entities for approximately $4 million less than their current appraised value and receiving no financial records for multiple years, Plaintiff filed suit to trace the disposition of company funds. The complaint alleges that David J. Heil, as de facto manager of Gator State Storage TB LLC, refused to produce required books and records despite a formal written demand made on or about September 22, 2025. The action was filed under Sections 605.0410 and 605.0411, Florida Statutes, seeking a court ordered inspection of the company’s records to determine where sale proceeds were transferred, along with attorney’s fees and costs.
This lawsuit is part of an ongoing multi-year scheme allegedly orchestrated by David J. Heil and affiliates to strip assets from co-owned ventures. It claims that Texas Built, LLC improperly acquired multiple self-storage facilities from State Storage Lubbock, LLC through insider transactions in which the defendants signed as both buyer and seller. The properties were allegedly transferred without notice or fair compensation, and appraisals referenced in the complaint show they were worth over $3 million more than the sale price. The suit asserts causes of action for fraudulent transfer, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment, as well as operating a criminal scheme and seeks damages exceeding $3 million.
Upstate Holdings LLC filed suit against State Storage Lubbock LLC seeking a court ordered inspection of the company’s books and records under Section 605.0411, Florida Statutes, after appraisals and bank statements obtained through the related JHOG litigation showed that company property had been sold to insider controlled entities for approximately $3 million less than its current appraised value and that more than $1 million in cash had been transferred out of the company into accounts held by David J. Heil personally and others under his control. The complaint alleges that the plaintiff has received no financial statements or tax returns for more than three years, despite statutory inspection rights under Section 605.0410, Florida Statutes. The action seeks to compel production of the company’s financial books and records to trace the disposition of assets and cash transfers, along with recovery of attorney’s fees, costs, and other relief deemed appropriate by the Court.
In this derivative and direct action, JHOG Holdings alleges that David Heil diverted nearly half a million dollars by moving company funds from State Storage Lubbock, LLC into his personal account and refusing to return them. The complaint also claims that Heil blocked access to financial records, delayed tax documentation, leased properties to related parties at below-market rates, and allowed key assets to fall into disrepair and condemnation. The lawsuit asserts claims for conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment, seeking recovery of the misappropriated funds and restoration of JHOG’s management rights.
The counterclaim alleges that Heil engaged in a coordinated criminal scheme and conspiracy, in violation of Florida Statutes §§ 772.103 and 817.034, by directing insider property transfers at below-market values, using false capital calls and loan characterizations to dilute Upstate’s ownership interest, and diverting property sale proceeds through affiliated entities, including escrow funds transferred into accounts under Heil’s personal control. The pleading alleges that this conduct excluded Upstate from management and distributions and caused millions of dollars in damages through lost equity, diverted cash, and loss of the properties’ economic benefits.
In another recent lawsuit filed in June of 2025, David J. Heil and State Storage Group LLC are accused of orchestrating a multi-million dollar scheme to drain assets and profits from State Storage Tampa Bay, LLC. The complaint alleges the use of back-dated promissory notes, unauthorized insider loans, and excessive distributions executed without required member consent. These actions allegedly left the company insolvent and deprived minority investors of their rightful returns. The suit seeks to unwind over $2 million in fraudulent transfers, recover misappropriated funds, appoint a receiver, and obtain injunctive relief, prejudgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and a jury trial.
David J. Heil is named alongside Cory Calvin in a corporate fraud action alleging the use of sham entities to evade creditor judgments and contractual obligations in this Colorado lawsuit. According to court filings, Elite Storage Holdings, LLC was formed and used shortly before a major real estate transaction was set to close, allegedly to sidestep existing legal and financial liabilities. A Colorado court ruled in favor of Dan Brennan, LLC and entered monetary awards totaling nearly $400,000 in fees and costs. Heil has appealed the ruling, and the matter remains active. The lawsuit alleges that Heil and associated defendants never had the financial capacity to close on the property and misrepresented their ability to perform. Brennan further seeks to pierce the corporate veil, alleging that Heil and Calvin treated Elite as a shell entity with no assets, records, or legitimate operations, used to defraud business partners and evade liability.
Upstate Holdings LLC filed suit against State Storage Palmetto LLC seeking a court ordered inspection of the company’s books and records under Section 605.0411, Florida Statutes, after seeing financial documents through related litigation that an unencumbered company asset had been sold for approximately $3.1 million and that, on the same day the proceeds were received, multiple electronic transfers were made out of the company’s bank account by David J. Heil, acting as the de facto manager. According to the complaint, Heil characterized the transfers as loans and subsequently removed the plaintiff from company bank accounts in early 2025, leaving the plaintiff without access to financial information. The lawsuit alleges that the defendant refused to provide complete financial records despite statutory inspection rights under Section 605.0410, Florida Statutes. The action seeks to compel inspection and copying of the company’s financial records to determine the disposition of sale proceeds, along with recovery of attorney’s fees, costs, and other relief deemed appropriate by the Court.
This lawsuit accuses David Heil’s entities of failing to close and backing out of purchase agreements on the same $8.75 million property deal not once, but three separate times—each after providing written assurances they would follow through. The plaintiffs claim they were misled through repeated delays and reinstatements of the contract, only for the defendants to default again and again without justification. After the third failed closing, Heil’s companies allegedly refused to release the $100,000 deposit that was contractually owed to the sellers. The suit demands repayment of the deposit, attorney’s fees, and damages for what the plaintiffs describe as a pattern of bad-faith tactics and blatant disregard for contractual obligations.
A final judgment was entered in Minnesota state court against David J. Heil personally in favor of Dan Brennan, LLC, arising from a foreign judgment proceeding docketed in Hennepin County, MN. According to the notice of docketing, Heil—also known as Elite Storage Holdings, LLC—was listed as a judgment debtor, and the court entered monetary awards totaling almost $400,000. The judgment reflects an award of $288,580.31 entered on October 12, 2025 and docketed on January 28, 2026, along with an additional $85,232.00 entered on October 10, 2025 and docketed on January 29, 2026. The notices provide that costs and post-judgment interest will continue to accrue until the amounts are satisfied in full.
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All summaries above are drawn from publicly filed court pleadings and orders. Allegations remain unadjudicated unless otherwise noted.
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