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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.

From Company to “Dummy Corporation”

The scheme deepened just days later when Enrique and Lopez created a new entity, Colado Enterprise, which the complaint described as a “dummy corporation.”
By the following month, the pair had transferred the deed to a commercial property at 9803 NW 80th Ave. in Hialeah Gardens—a major asset belonging to Colado Trucking—into the name of their newly formed company.

The jury’s verdict awarded $975,000 in compensatory damages for the real estate theft and $30,000 in punitive damages, finding that the defendants acted willfully in defrauding Henry’s estate.

A Widow’s Fight for Justice

Representing Henry’s estate, Laura Colado brought the case not only to reclaim what was rightfully hers but to vindicate her late husband’s legacy.
“This verdict restores dignity to Henry’s memory and ensures justice is served,” said her attorney Alaina Fotiu-Wojtowicz of Brodsky Fotiu-Wojtowicz PLLC in a post-trial statement.

Laura’s legal team also included Mariana Muci and Benjamin H. Brodsky of Brodsky Fotiu-Wojtowicz PLLC, alongside Joel A. Bello and Ian I. Martinez of Bello & Martinez.

The defendants, Enrique Colado and Lopez, were represented by Omar Ortega, Rosdaisy Rodriguez, and Krystina M. Dorta of Dorta & Ortega PA.