A Texas businessman has taken legal action against a city and several individuals, accusing them of abusing the criminal justice system to resolve a civil dispute. Jeremy Stevens filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on January 9, 2026, naming the City of Addison, William Beasley, Ayla Barrientos, BHC Office Solutions Corporation, and its principals as defendants.
The lawsuit stems from what Stevens describes as an intentional misuse of the criminal justice system by the defendants to address a contractual disagreement over office furniture leasing. According to Stevens, rather than pursuing civil remedies for a month-to-month lease issue, BHC Office Solutions falsely accused him of felony theft. This accusation led to a misleading police report and an arrest warrant that lacked probable cause. The complaint alleges that BHC’s principals misrepresented Stevens’ lawful possession of leased property as criminal conduct while withholding critical information from law enforcement about the nature of their agreement and payment history.
Stevens accuses William Beasley and Ayla Barrientos, both officers with the City of Addison Police Department, of failing to conduct independent investigations and relying on false representations from financially interested parties. He claims these officers sought a criminal warrant without disclosing material facts that would have negated probable cause. As a result, Stevens was arrested and prosecuted without just cause, suffering emotional distress and reputational harm.
The plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages for his unlawful arrest and prosecution under federal law (42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1988) as well as state law claims including malicious prosecution and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He also seeks punitive damages against certain defendants for their alleged reckless disregard for his constitutional rights.
Representing himself pro se in this matter is Jeremy Stevens. The case is presided over by Judge E-BK under Case ID 3:26-cv-00050-E-BK.
Source: 326cv50_Jeremy_Stevens_v_The_City_of_Addison_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Texas.pdf
