This may not be as much of a fiscal danger to the town as the amount sought would suggest; still we might want to cut the school budget in half, just to have some cash in reserve. (Updated)

Greenwich woman facing criminal charges sues local police, first selectman, others for $110M

GREENWICH — A Greenwich woman has filed a lawsuit in federal District Court, claiming a sweeping "conspiracy" against her by the police department and asking for more than $110 million in damages.

In the complaint, the woman, Caitlin Hayes, said "a conspiracy for malicious prosecution" was perpetrated against her by numerous police officials.

In July of 2023, Greenwich police arrested Hayes and accused her of writing bad checks to a landlord who was renting her living space in the northwest corner of town.

Hayes was charged with first-degree larceny and issuing a bad check over $2,000, felonies, in connection with the leasing arrangement she had with a property owner there, according to court filings. Following additional investigation, police later charged Hayes in 2024 with another felony, first-degree criminal property damage, for allegedly causing some $90,000 of damage at the house. Those criminal charges are still pending.

Hayes, a lawyer, had numerous encounters with Greenwich police during the eviction proceedings against her initiated by the landlord and in subsequent law enforcement interactions, according to the lawsuit. 

The lawsuit, filed in March, names First Selectman Fred Camillo, who serves as the police commissioner, and Chief James Heavey. The suit also individually names a captain, a lieutenant, a sergeant, four detectives and four patrol officers, as well as the town and the police department. The lawsuit asserts a wide range of misconduct.

Hayes is representing herself in the lawsuit against the town.

Hayes in her lawsuit said that she had been required to undergo a “competency” hearing by a mental-health professional as part of the criminal process ….

UPDATE. Dang it, I didn’t follow the link embedded in the GT article above. If I had, I’d have been steered to this artice from last July:

Warrant: Greenwich's 'Bambi the Billionaire' with history of landlord disputes caused $90K in damages

GREENWICH — An additional criminal charge has been filed in connection with a Greenwich woman who was previously accused of writing bad checks to her landlords in 2023.

Caitlin Hayes, 43, whose last known address was listed as East Putnam Green in Greenwich, rented a home on Dwight Lane in April 2023. According to filings in state Superior Court in Stamford, Hayes wrote two checks that were returned for lack of funds — for a security deposit of $15,000 and for the balance of the first month's rent. In summer 2023, she was charged with first-degree larceny and issuing a bad check over $2,000, both felonies, in connection with those financial transactions.

Following additional investigation, police charged Hayes with another felony, first-degree criminal property damage.

Hayes, who refers to herself as “Bambi the Billionaire” on social media, was evicted from the Dwight Lane home in July 2023 for non-payment of rent, according to the arrest warrant application. The landlords contacted police about what they described as "intentional damage" to the property after she left, the affidavit said.

“I believe that these charges, stemming from over a year ago, were brought with malicious intent in pursuit of retaliation for me seeking justice, in what I allege are abuses of power and process,” Hayes told Heast Connecticut Media on Friday.

According to an itemized list from the landlord, a mahogany coffee table was broken up and parts of it were burned in a fireplace, the affidavit stated. A cabinet had a front cover broken off, floor tiles were badly damaged, seat covers were ripped, there were damaged mattresses and dried cement was found in the pipe of a master bedroom sink, according to the arrest warrant application.

Approximately $90,000 in damage was incurred while Hayes was staying at the home, the court filing stated, according to the landlords' documentation.

Police responded to more than a dozen complaints in 2023 at the property where Hayes was staying, the affidavit stated.

According to the arrest warrant application filed in the property-damage case, "Hayes has a long history of landlord tenant disputes and evictions. Since 2011, Hayes has been evicted from 12 properties and within the town of Greenwich."

And this one, from the summer of ‘23:

Greenwich's 'Bambi the Billionaire' charged with larceny has history of skipping rent, records show

GREENWICH — A town woman who refers to herself as “Bambi the Billionaire” on social media is facing criminal charges after police say she issued bad checks to her landlord.

The landlord told an investigator that Caitlin Hayes, 43, had written two apparently bad checks, one for $15,000 for a security deposit and one for $13,000 to pay the balance of the monthly rent for April, according to the arrest warrant application. Both those checks were declined by the bank for lack of funds, the warrant stated.

Hayes is facing a felony count of first-degree larceny. Hayes, who turned herself in to police headquarters Monday, was also cited for two counts of issuing a bad check over $2,000, felonies.

According to her LinkedIn page, Hayes, a lawyer in Westchester County, earned a law degree from the Washington School of Law at American University in Washington, D.C. As "Bambi the Billionaire," she also works as a "spiritual healer" who performs "energy healing sessions."

One of Hayes’ websites says her law firm can help launch business ventures in Angola, Chad, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates.

A Greenwich police detective investigating Hayes' background said he found instances of her being evicted or the subject of eviction proceedings in 12 cases in Greenwich from 2011 to the present, according to a court filing in Superior Court in Stamford.

"GPD detectives were able to establish the accused had a long history of deceptions and evictions within the town of Greenwich, costing numerous landlords potential rental income and legal fees," the arrest report narrative stated.

Hayes has been the subject of litigation from landlords all over town, at residences on Cos Cob Avenue, Byram Road, Pemberwick Road, Greenwich Avenue, Bible Street and Sound Beach Avenue, according to the court filing. The affidavit stated she had been living at numerous locations, "until she is legally evicted from her dwelling."

In one case, at a home on Bramble Lane in Riverside, Hayes was in arrears for tens of thousands of dollars, living at the $5,600-per-month residence in 2020 and 2021 and not paying rent, according to the lawsuit filed in housing court and the arrest warrant application.

In her communications with the landlord on Dwight Lane, who turned over text messages to the police, "she related she would only surrender occupancy if (the landlord) does not file a complaint about her to the police," the arrest warrant application stated. The rent there was $18,750 per month.