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IN 'I'HC UNITED SI'A'I'ES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS

JOHN M. PIERCE,

Intcrpleader PlaintifVStakeholder,
STATUTORY INTERPLEADER
against COMPLAINT UNDER 28 U.S.C. 8 1335

MILOS FUND LLC, a Nevada limited


liability company, FIGHTBACK
FOUNDATION, INC., a Texas corporation,
ABC, LLCs l-l0,XYZ Corps. l-10,

John M. Pierce, pro se, hereby alleges as and for his interplcadcr cornplaint pursuant to

28 U.S.C. $ 1335 as follows:

Parties

l. Interpleader plaintifVstakeholder, John M. Pierce ('Pierce") is a resident of

California.

2. Upon information and belief, inrcrpleader defendant/claimant Milo Fund LLC

(the "Milo Fund") is a limited liability company (*LLC') organized and existing under the laws

of Nevada and is a solc-mcmber I.t,C.

3. Upon information and belief, interpleader defendant/claimant FightBack

Foundation Inc. ('FightBack"), is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Texas

and has its principal place of business in either Texas or Georgia.

Jurisdiction and Venue

4. Under 28 U.S.C. $ 1335(aXl):

The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any civil action of
interpleader or in the nature of interpleader filed by any pc$on, firm, or

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corporation, ass∝ iation, or society ha宙 ng in his or its custody or possession
money or pЮ perty ofthc value oF S500 or rnorc,or having issued a notc,bond,
cenificate,poncy oFinsuttncc,or otherinstrliment oF value or amount of 3500 or
more,or providing For the detivery or payment or the ioan ofrnoney or pЮ perty
oFsuch:unount or value,or being under any obligation witten or un雨 tten to the
arnount or S500 or more, if

(1)TWO Or mOre adverse ciaimants,oF diversc citittmship as


derined in subsection(a)Or(d)Or section 1332 or this titie,arc
ciaiming or may ctaim to bc entiticd to such money or pЮ perty)or
to any one or more orthe benerlts arising by vinue or any notc,
bond,certirtcate,pOlicy or other insmrnent,or arising by vinuc oF
amy such obligationi and iF(2)the ptaintiば has deposited such
money or property or has paid thc arnount of or the toan or oher
valuc oF such instl■ lrncnt or thc mount due under such obhgation
nto ∞ urt, to
cou武 ,or has given bond Payable to the cterk ofthe ooun in such
amount and win such sば ety as he coun orjudge may d∝ m
proper,conditioned upon the comphance by the ptaintifr、 vith the
future order or judgment of the couH萌 th respect to hc su可 ∝t
mattcr ofthe cont「 oversy.

5. Ptt「 ∝ is he holdcr of a“ Remiuan∝ Rc∝ iば '(as deaned below)一 he stake in

his interpleader action, which is an “instBRiFnent Of value" ―― that has a Facc valuc of

S2,000,000.00.Therefore,the monetaり ju面 sdictionЛ threshold has been met.

6。 PI孤 ndば has,in∞ 可unciOn hettwhh,aHached a∞ py ofthe Remmance Receipt

to his pleadingo PIaintifr expressty disclttms any interest in any苗 ghts under or hЮ ugh the

Remittan∝ Re∝lpt.Plaittrad面 ts hat any and an HBht,ciaim,title,or interest itt to,or under

″′
the Remmance Re∝ ipt orthe Funds evidenced hereby″ P,ノ ο ′
ノr,νデ″′ 〃ο
ノう?力 α′α″ ″P,li″ rO α

0'Or力 ?/r力 ,打
P?″ ざ ′
力?P′αttrri″ ― but Piaintiぼ camot deterxnine who.

7. Upon inforgnation and beliet here are at least two adverse clttmants,to wit,the

two named defendants/ciairnants herein. FightBack is a corpomtion organized and existing

under he taws oFthe State oF Texas and,upon infomation and beliet has itS pincipal placc of

business eiher in Texas or Ccorgia.

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8, ?″ 砿И″
Mito Fund is an IBLC.Under Carι ′ た ∫
ο″,,ガ ∫Oc,,494 UoS。 185(1990),an

LLC has the citi2持 nship oF ali orits membes. Thereforc,Milo Fund's state oforganization and

its principal placc of business are irelevant to a dettHnination oF i伎 、citizenship. According to

rreckyttu馘 。
∞ m,he Milo Fund町 s member,manaBcr‐ managed limttd haЫ Ihy
a soに ―

company.う 'Upon infollilation and beliet the sOle_member ofthe Milo Fund is neiher a citittn

ofTcxas or Ccorgia.

9. 'IhcreForc,he two adverse ciaimants are divcrtt within hc meaning of28 UoS.C.

S1335.

10. Vcnuc in this statutory interpleader tindcr 28 UoSoC.§ 1335 is govcmcd by 28

UoS,C.s i397,whtth PЮ 宙des:“ Any c市 il acdon orinterpicader or in the ntture oFinterpleadcr

under section i335 ofthis titie may be bЮ ughtin thejudicial distnctin wttch one or mott orthe

claimants reside."

H. ThercForc,venue is pЮ per in the Fedcmi district court For the Northem District of

Texas as atieast one ofthc ciaimants,FightBack,is,upon infomation,and beliefa Dallas based

corporation thatis organized under he laws ofTexas and is,theК ,fbre,a citizen ofTexas.

Factual Ailegntions Common to Ali Counts

12. On or about November 20,2020,in oonn∝tion、vith his civil representation oF

Kyle mtte山 Ouse,Pierce'siaw am"Pierce Bainbridge P,C,,r∝ e市ed by wire into its ctient

IOLTA trust account ttnds IIom FightBack in the attnolarlt of Two Milhon Dollars

(32,000,000,00)(he C.Bailed Funds'つ )。


The Bailed Funds were to be used exctu載 vely for the

puttOSe of posting bait in conncction Ⅶ th a crirninal pro∝ eding in the State or Wisconsin

pending against Kyle Rittenhouse(Case No.2020CF000983)。 he sarne day,Pierce i― ediately

obtained a cenified check in thtt amount ittom his iaw illll's tmst account and drove to Kenosha,

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Wisconsin. IIe sub■ litted that ce「 tified check to the Kenosha County Cicrk's ofricc, which

applied the Funds to Kyle Ritte耐 louse・ s S2 million bail mount.As p障 萌ously coordinatcd with

the Kcnosha County Sherir and private sccurity,that same day Pierce arrangcd for hc safe

release of Rittcnhouse from pre‐ tial detention and re‐ united Kyle Rittenhouse with his ramily in

a securc iocatiOn.

13. Becausc Pierce personally tcndcrcd the Bailed runds to Kcnosha Joint ScⅣ iccs,

1000 55dl Strect,Kenosha,W153140.he was issued personany,in his owri nme,a receipt l予 om
Joint Scwi∝ s(Rccdpt No.243357)evidendng the poshng oFthe Baiに d Funds and the dghtto

their remittance(the“ Remittance Rcceipt''),WhiCh ostcnsibly 8"es Picr∝ the sole and cxctus市 e

五ghito r∝ cive thc Bailcd I「 unds upon Kytc Ritte山 ouse's appearan∝ and continued attendance

through verdict or thc criminal proceedings pending against hirn in Wisconsin, in accordance

with the law orヽ Visconsin.

14. Pierce's civil representttion of Kyle Rittcnhouse conctuded in or around January

2021.

15。 Pierce has received multiple and inconsistent demands to the Remittance R∝ eipt

and the Bailed Funds evidenced thereby.

16. Pierce does not ciaim and expressly disclaims any苗 8ht,titie,or interest to ne

ReFnittan∝ Receipt evidencing a rightto receive the Banled Funds.

17. Piercc has mot attempted to and does notintend to seck to ciai:n the Bailed Funds

evidenced by the Remitttnce lReceipt.

18. Pttrcc has not assigned分 ∞ nveyed,or tttnsferred the Remhtan∝ Re∝ ipt.

19。 But Pierce is unable to dete11二 line who is iawfu‖ y cntiti《 xi to he Rcmittance

R∝ eipt,wttch evidences a right to receivc the Bailed Funds.

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20. WhereFore,Hcr∝ secks relief pursuant 28 U.SoC.§ i335 to detemine who has

best or attt● ght,dt腱 ,and hterest h and to the Rcmittance R理 中t whtth e胡 dences a苗 8ht tO

receive the Bailed Funds.

COUNTI
IStatutOry lnterpicader Under28 UeS.C.S133SI

21. Pieu repeats and re‐ alleges the a‖ egations set Fbtth in pamgraph l‐ 20 hercoR

22. Pierce is the h01der oF thc Remittancc Rcceip峰 which evidenccs a ctailn to the

Bailed Fwids.A truc and corr∝ t copy ofthe Remittan∝ Rcccipt is annex(姐 hereto as Exhibit A

and inco呵 pora控 旭 by refercnce as set n.

23。 Pierce does not ciaign and cxpressiy disciaiFnS any right,titic.or interest in and to

Rcrnitttn∝ Receipt and the Bailed Funds evidcnccd thcrcby.

24. For avoidm∝ of doubt PierCe d∝ s not cttm and exPttSSIy disciaims any right,

titie,or interest in and to thc Bailed Funds as we‖ . Piette is not in possession or the Bailed

Funds and does notintend to seek to come into possession ofthe Bailed Funds.

25. Picrcc has r∝ eived demands rrOm vれ ous parties clttmin8 a best or attt H8ht,

titie,or interestin and to he Re面 ttance Receipt.

26. Pie醒 港 linaЫ e to dettHmine who has best or Πst苗 8ht,title,or inttrest h and to

hc RernittaHl∝ Re∝ ipt and,by extension,世 le Bailed FШ ds evidenced thettby.

27. Pierce would potentiaIIy be suttα漱姐 tO double or muitiple liabiliv if he were to

assign,convey,or transFer he Rernitttnce Receiptto any party or ifhe were to attemptto collect,

or in Fact r∝ eive or∞ me into possession oF he Bailed Fttds pursuarlt to a tender of he

Remittmce Recciptto Wisconsin Joint SeⅣ ices.

28。 Wherefo鶯 ,pursuant to 28 UoS.C.§ 1335,Pier∝ hereby interpleads the above

narned interpleader deFendanよ ゴciai:nants for the soie puttose oF pertnitting the orderly and

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Lwrul,udicね t resomtion OFttl interplcadcr dcttndants'cИ imsto thc Remntan∝ Rccdpt and thc

Bailed Fund evidenced thereby; and For a dccision and/or ordcr Forcvcr and completcly

discharging Pierce From any and a‖ liability,ctai:ns,damagesぅ or dcmands in conn∝ tion wih

the Re■littancc Rcccipt and the right to the Bailed Funds evidenced thereby.

PRAYER FOR RELIEF


Wherefore,Piercc pmys For the Foliowing relie丘

1. 'rhat cach and evcry deFendant with a ciai:n or ctatFning entitlement to the

RcHlittancc Rc∝ ipt be restttined rrom institudng any action against thc Plaintiff for r∝ ovev or

the Re■littancc Receipt or thc Bailcd ifunds cvidenced thercby;

2. 1・ hat thc deFendants be required to interplead and settie among themseives their

rights to Remittance Receipt and the Bailed Funds evidenced thereby;

3. That the Piaintiぼ bc discharged from a‖ liabiliv一 that the Cou貧 ,by wHtten

order Ⅶ thout rnotion,accept into Court or otherwise peHnit Pierce to put in escrow a∝ rtiried

copy ofthe Rcmittancc Rcceipt evidencing the rightto receive the Bailed Funds;

4. That upon the Cou試 's acceptance oF thc Remittancc Rcceipt into court,or the

's acceptance in lieu thereorof a sworn and ttritten suttender by Pierce orany五
Couコ と 8ht,titie,

or interest in he Remittance Receipt and′ or a writttn representation in a FollRR aCCeptable to the

Court that Pierce has not othettisc assigncd,sold,or conveyed to any third‐ patty thc Rentittan∝

R∝ eipt,that Pierce,either upon he Court's owri motion or upon a motion by Pierce,be

pЮ mptty,rully,and irrevocably dscharged and released of any and ЛI IЙ billy m∞ :inectbn

with the Rerittance Rc∝ ipt or the Bailed Funds evidenced thereby;

5。 In the alternative,to the extent that Pierce is not so discharged and К,leased and is

otherwise made to defend against any a‖ e8ation,demand, or asseniOn by any ctairnant who

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cttns a d8htOr mddement Ю he Re面 ttan∝ Re∝ipt or he函 団 Funds eviden∞ d hettby,

山飢 醜 醒 'S COStS and reasowble attomeys'Fees be pand out Of tt Bailed Funds to tt exttnt

瞬面 鮨 d研 爵qdredけ 脱 and

6. For tth oherand ttHherttefas he Coun may demme b bejust,propett or

eqdtable。

Da鯰 :NovembeF 8,2021


Los Angeles,CA

M.P醜
355S.Gmmd Avenue
hs Angeles,CA 90071
TeL(213)400‐ 0725
j炉(刑 咆や i贈血 Mdge。 ∞ m
Prο S9

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