Former Dolphin Minor sues BSO over 2014 arrest

DAVIE — Travis Minor, a former Miami Dolphins running back and Florida State University standout, aspires to work in football again, but a legal episode from his past has apparently spoiled a recent opportunity.

Minor has filed a federal civil lawsuit for a violation of his civil rights for what he believes was a wrongful arrest for soliciting a prostitute in 2014.

Minor is suing Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel in his official capacity and two deputies in their official and personal capacities, seeking unspecified damages.

While solicitation charges against Minor in a criminal case were dropped in February 2017, Minor believes he has been “humiliated and defamed” and his name has been “disgraced and muddied” as a result of his arrest, according to his lawsuit.

“I think he had an opportunity to get a job with a college team, and they passed him over because of this. It has damaged his reputation,” said Michael Gottlieb, Minor’s defense attorney who represented him in the criminal case, but is not representing him in the lawsuit.

Minor is being represented by Fort Myers attorney Jack C. Morgan III, who could not be reached for comment.

The Broward County Sheriff ’s Office did not want to comment on the pending litigation.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 26, alleges that Israel, detective Yanessa Ayra and deputy Taryn Martin conspired to prosecute Minor by preparing false probable cause affidavits and police reports.

The lawsuit contends that discrepancies in the reports prove Ayra cut and pasted together probable cause affidavits of prostitution sting reports from Jan. 17, 2014 to March 28, 2014.

BSO previously had two deputies investigated by internal affairs and a sergeant placed on restricted duty in October 2005 for copy and pasting portions of similar prostitution sting reports.

When Minor was arrested in a prostitution sting, the incident report filed by Martin in August 2014 was incorrectly notarized and signed by Ayra with a date of March 2014, according to Martin’s disposition in 2016 regarding Minor’s criminal case.

The incident report states Minor, who parked his white SUV in the rear of at the Cyber Pizza Cafe on Federal Highway in Dania Beach, first approached Martin to solicit services. But Martin was first to approach Minor before the arrest, which Martin verified during her disposition.

The incident report states Minor agreed to pay $40 for oral sex, while Martin said in her disposition she proposed $50.

The lawsuit alleges that Ayra and Martin failed to inform Minor they breached protocol, committed perjury and other criminal actions in falsifying their affidavits and reports before the charges against him were ultimately dismissed.

According to Martin’s deposition, Minor first passed by Martin, walking while wearing street clothes on Federal Highway, before he turned his vehicle around and entered the shopping plaza parking lot to the rear of the building.

Minor and Martin made eye contact after he rolled his window down, and Martin approached his vehicle, according to her deposition. They spoke while Minor was in his car, she continued in the deposition, but the lawsuit alleges they spoke inside the Cyber Pizza Cafe.

After discussing the cost for oral sex, Martin said she had to get her purse in a bush before entering Minor’s car. Instead, she left to go inside an undercover vehicle before Minor was surrounded in his car by BSO’s Crime Suppression Team, according to the deposition.

Minor was arrested, had a weapon confiscated and spent the night in jail.