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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — REAL News Michiana has learned “activist” and convicted felon, Vernado Malone, was forced to settle another lawsuit. This time Malone must pay $15,000 for defamation against a woman who he relentlessly stalked, harassed and defamed for more than a year. The harassment started after the woman came forward to detail illegal activity being committed by Malone and his non-profit.
The woman, who REAL News Michiana will not be naming, filed her defamation lawsuit against Malone and his non-profit, Justice for Michiana, in early 2022. The court quickly awarded the woman a default judgement against Justice for Michiana, however, the case against Malone in his personal capacity dragged on for many more months.
The lawsuit outlines a laundry list of defamatory remarks made by Malone, falsely claiming on social media and through Justice for Michiana that she is a prostitute, criminal, racist and adulterer. As part of the settlement, Malone had to make a public apology, retracting his defamatory statement. Malone sent an email with a statement that was added into the court’s record.
“I would like to publicly retract my statement against (the victim). I also would like to apologize for any harm or inconvenience that I may have caused her. As part of my statement I would also like for all parties to know that I am an indigent individual due to my disability and medical condition. My medical condition is rare and will never get better. This diagnosis is a lifetime condition that only 1 out of 2,500 people have nationwide. I am unable to work and therefore I have no monetary resources.” Malone’s email reads.
The emailed retraction and original lawsuit can all be seen below.
The woman in this case also sent Malone a Cease and Desist Order for the defamatory remarks and has been awarded multiple Protection Orders against him.
Malone, who spent several years in federal prison for multiple fraud convictions, was given thousands of dollars in taxpayer money from the City of South Bend’s Alive Grant program for his non-profit, Justice for Michiana. The grants were created to help curtail violent crime in the City of South Bend. Malone claimed Justice for Michiana was designed to help families of homicide victims with funeral arrangements. However, RNM discovered Malone was taking and sharing nude photographs of the recently deceased at local funeral home, Alford’s Mortuary. Our story led to the State of Indiana revoking Alford’s funeral license along with multiple lawsuits against the funeral home and Malone from the families of the victims who had nude pictures taken. Both Malone and Alford’s Mortuary have settled their cases with those families.
The Alive Grant program gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to local organizations. However, RNM’s investigations into the Alive Grant and its awardees led to the discovery of several other potential criminal acts.
RNM discovered the city changed the name on one grant to give money to a friend of the Director of Community Initiatives, Maurice Scott. A notice of tort was issued in that case. You can read all about that here.
Another awardee, Wright Chosen Ministries and its founder Lori Wright, is accused of taking food stamps from homeless families and selling them to a woman in Louisiana. You can read more about that story here.
RNM discovered the city gave thousands of dollars to a convicted murderer who had been out of prison for less than a year. You can read about that here.
The city also gave grant money to a federally convicted armed robber.
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