LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --LA Weekly Reporter Gene Maddaus sure knows how to write a sensational story with a headline intended to grab the attention of his readers. He did just that with his recent LA Weekly story on Joshua Macciello, the unknown man who made a bid to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers. The only problem with Maddaus' ambitious investigative report is that it includes incorrect information.
While interviewing anyone who would take his calls, Maddaus did a lot of baiting as any good investigative reporter should. When he baited about a heroin charge, several interviewees made it clear that Joshua Macciello was never charged for possessing that drug. In fact, Macciello's attorneys emailed Maddaus a document that dismisses any accounts of drug possession. A copy of the dismissal can be seen on www.joshfordodgers.com. Yet, Maddaus still writes, "The charging documents also allege that Macciello sold more than 14 grams of heroin, and possessed 62 tablets of codeine."
According to attorney James Blatt, Mr. Macciello was never arrested for possession of heroin. His case involved possession of Vicodin in an amount above personal use. He received a probationary sentence with work release and house arrest. On September 8, 2011, pursuant to Penal Code section 1203.4, Mr. Macciello was permitted to withdraw his plea, a plea of not guilty was entered, and the Court dismissed and expunged his case.
In fairness to Maddaus, he includes positive commentary from respected ESPN journalists including Steve Mason , John Ireland and Ramona Shelburne. He includes the fact that Macciello has a ground swell of devoted fans and continued to be a fascinating subject for journalists.
The final question is, was it fair to refer to Macciello as a fraud in the headline? Macciello is a dealmaker and if a deal might not come to fruition, does that really constitute fraud? Perhaps Gene Maddaus ought to research people like Bernard Madoff for perspective.
In spite of the LA Weekly story, there are still a lot of people out there who are rooting for Joshua Macciello. Mr. Maddaus neglected to mention that Macciello is a devoted family man who enjoys spending quality time with his wife, children and mother who lives with them.
News contact: Rachel Hill, madisonhillpr@gmail.com
SOURCE Joshua Macciello
