A former MLB player and his wife were scammed out of $325,000 when they invested the money with a “friend” who promised them an eight-figure return in less than a year.
Todd Hollandsworth, who played 12 seasons in the MLB, and his wife Marci gave the money to Lonni and Misty Moss under the guise of a “personal relationship” following their “continued pressure and assurances,” according to a lawsuit viewed by The Post.
The Hollandsworths signed an “Investment Contract” on Feb. 28, 2022, expecting a minimum return of $12.5 million paid out in monthly payments over 10 months.
WPLG was the first to report the lawsuit, which was filed on July 24.
The contract was with a company called Arpad, LLC, which the Hollandsworths claim they never heard of until the contract was presented to them.
They still entered the agreement because of their relationship with Lonnie Moss and assurance of the returns.
Arpad allegedly failed to make the first monthly payment, where the Hollandsworths began to question Moss who said the payments were delayed and “would be coming shortly.”
After several months without payments, Moss allegedly told the couple that he and his wife were seeking “other avenues to obtain the promised returns.”
The lawsuit alleges the Mosses and Arpad did not invest the $325,000 and instead “took the funds and absconded with it for their personal benefit.”
“As a result the (Hollandsworths) never received any payments whatsoever related to the Investment Contract,” the filing states.
The couple accused Lonnie and Misty Moss of fraud and piercing the corporate as Arpad was their alter-ego as they have “co-mingled” corporate assets with theirs.
They are seeking nearly $1 million in damages in the civil suit, which claims fraud, civil theft and breach of contract.
Lonnie Moss was arrested and booked into Broward County Jail on Thursday and charged with first-degree grand theft and money laundering.
He was released Friday night following an appearance in court where he was handed a $250,000 bond.
No criminal charges were pending for Misty Moss, according to court records and WPLG.
Hollandsworth played for the Los Angeles Dodgers where he was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1996.
He spent six seasons with Los Angeles and he was traded to the Rockies in 2000 and later the Rangers in 2002.
Hollandsworth signed with the then-Florida Marlins where he appeared in 93 games en route to the franchise’s second World Series ring.
He finished his career playing for the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds before retiring in 2006 and becoming a baseball broadcaster.
The 51-year-old shares four children with his wife.