A NYC crisis management consultant is suing a halal food trucker worker for $20 million after being falsely accused of pulling a gun on him and telling him to “go back to [his] country.”
Eric Laptook, 70, was accused of harassing Mahmoud Ahmed near his building on West 115th Street where Ahmed operated a food truck as early as September 2022, according to the lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
In October, Laptook was arrested when Ahmed told police he pointed a black firearm at him, according to a criminal complaint included in the court filing.
Ahmed alleged in criminal complaints that “an older white male” approached his food truck and said, “You’re not supposed to be here. This is my home, not your home. Go back home Mohamed, go back to your country. You are bothering people, you are operating illegally.”
Laptook had his home and car searched by police, and was charged with stalking, menacing and criminal possession.
All the charges against Laptook were dismissed, according to the suit.
Laptook is suing Ahmed and MJM Halal Food, Inc. for malicious prosecution and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to the court summons.
Roughly 100 complaints to 311 for the food truck’s address have been filed in July, according to city records, including food not being protected and the truck operating in a prohibited area.
Laptook owns Laptook Risk Consulting, a crisis management advisory firm, according to online records.
He was previously general counsel and chief safety and compliance officer for TK Holdings Inc., the U.S. arm of Japanese airbag supplier Takata Corp., which went bankrupt in 2017.
Laptook and Ahmed could not be reached for comment.
