LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA – A South Florida attorney found himself needing an attorney ahead of Broward County deputies arresting him on an extortion charge Thursday.

That’s because authorities allege he used inside information he had on a neighbor’s legal woes in an ill-fated attempt to get her to resign from the board of his Lauderdale-by-the-Sea condominium building, promising to tarnish her reputation if she didn’t.

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies booked David A. Weintraub, a licensed attorney who works out of Plantation and specializes in stockbroker litigation, into the BSO Main Jail on Thursday after filing an arrest warrant earlier in the week. According to a probable cause affidavit written in July, Weintraub, 63, began the “smear” campaign soon after his neighbor was elected to the board of the Hampton Beach Club condominiums, located at 1800 S. Ocean Blvd., back in January. The affidavit states Weintraub, admitted to the Florida Bar in October 1984, had provided the woman legal advice “as a friend and neighbor” after she was arrested in 2020, communications she assumed would be “confidential.” However, after her election, deputies said he began a campaign to remove her from office and confronted her, promising to “embarrass her and make her life hell” if she didn’t resign. The affidavit states that Weintraub began pulling public records and videos related to the woman’s arrest and shared them with other condo board members in an attempt to get them to oust her.

Broward attorney David A. Weintraub (left) was accused of extortion after deputies allege he tried to spread information about a neighbor's past legal troubles to force her out at the board of the Hampton Beach Club condominiums (right)

 

“When this did not work, he circulated the video and report to several other residents in order to get them to vote against her in a (recall) petition,” BSO Deputy Benya Koos wrote in the report. “She has never resigned and a (recall petition) was never submitted by (Weintraub).”Multiple witnesses reported seeing either the arrest report or video distributed by Weintraub, the affidavit states.

Koos wrote in July that Weintraub declined to speak with investigators retained an attorney.

Weintraub was released on a $5,000 bond Friday. His attorney, in a statement to Local 10 News Friday afternoon, promised to fight what he described as “unjust” charges.

 

Local 10 News contacted the Florida Bar seeking comment Friday morning.

A representative from the Florida Bar said the association was looking in to our inquiry about Weintraub’s status as a licensed attorney and any potential professional ramifications that may stem from his arrest.