WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Lawyers for a South Florida father who locked his adopted son in a box-like structure in the garage of the family's Jupiter home claim he's got two job offers lined up for him if he were to be released on bond, but an attorney for one of those companies claims that no such offer is on the table.
Attorneys for Tim Ferriter filed a motion last week asking a Palm Beach County judge to grant their client's release on bond until the matter has been settled.
They claim that, if Ferriter is released on bond, he would live with his wife at a home in Palm Beach Gardens. They also claim Ferriter has two job offers waiting for him.
"Mr. Ferriter has made plans for his employment upon his release so that he can provide for his family," attorneys William R. Ponall and Prya Murad wrote. "Ferriter plans to work for Dream Outdoor Properties as a sales assistant in Jupiter, Florida."
Should that job "not work out, Mr. Ferriter has also been offered a sales position at Mazda of Palm Beach," the attorneys wrote.
Letters supporting those claims were included with the motion.
However, attorney Joshua S. Talcovitz sent a letter to WPTV advising that "such document is a complete and unequivocal forgery."
"At no time has Mr. Ferriter applied to Mazda of Palm Beach, let alone been given an offer of employment at the dealership," Talcovitz wrote. "Moreover, the letterhead appearing on the document is incorrect, as it is nothing more than a copy and paste of a website graphic."
He said he hadn't seen a similar scenario while practicing law and was surprised to receive a phone call from his client. Talcovits said there isn't even a record of Ferriter applying to Mazda Palm Beach.
"We just want the record clear that this is a forgery," Talcovitz wrote.
WPTV spoke to Murad via telephone on Wednesday. Murad said she "had no knowledge" that the document was fake and would be providing supporting documentation to the court.
Ferriter, 48, was convicted last month on charges of child abuse, child neglect and false imprisonment.
Judge Howard Coates sentenced Ferriter to five years in prison, which was less than what the state had sought but more than his attorneys had requested.
Defense attorneys unsuccessfully sought to have Ferriter released from jail while he awaited sentencing, but Coates denied the request.
Prosecutors convinced jurors during his trial that Ferriter treated his 14-year-old adopted son like a prisoner in their home, forcing the boy to sleep in an 8x8 windowless room in the garage of their Egret Landing home with nothing but a mattress, a desk and a bucket in which to defecate. The only time he was allowed out was to go to school.
Ferriter's wife, Tracy Ferriter, is facing the same charges and still awaiting trial. She was present throughout her husband's trial and sentencing hearing.
The Fourth District Court of Appeal will decide whether Tim Ferriter should receive a new trial.