In a dramatic courtroom showdown straight out of a family saga, a Miami jury awarded $1 million to Laura Colado, the widow of trucking company owner Henry Colado, after finding that her late husband’s father and sister conspired to rob his estate of valuable assets following his death.
After a six-day trial, the jury ruled Tuesday that Enrique Colado and Loly M. Lopez—Henry’s father and sister—fraudulently transferred property from Henry’s company, Colado Trucking Corp., to a shell entity they secretly created to seize control of the family business.
Family Ties Torn Apart by Greed
According to the lawsuit, Henry Colado, who died of pancreatic cancer on Sept. 30, 2022, was the vice president and sole owner of Colado Trucking, a family-run enterprise that had grown under his leadership. His father, Enrique, was the company’s president.
When Henry passed away without a will, Florida law dictated that Laura, his surviving spouse, would inherit his 100% ownership stake in the trucking business along with all related assets and property.
But within five days of Henry’s death, Enrique allegedly moved swiftly to rewrite the company’s records, filing an amended report with the state that removed Henry’s name as an officer and replaced him with Lopez, according to court filings.
