A man who opted to dance barefoot on a cruise ship says he was subsequently choked and threatened by the CEO of a financial services company. The incident, now the subject of intense media attention, is said to have taken place aboard the Virgin Voyages-operated Resilient Lady vessel on Monday, with the 53-year-old CEO in question, identified as Kenneth DeGiorgio of First American Financial Corporation, arrested by feds once the Caribbean cruise stopped in San Juan.
The accused choking was first made public by The Independent, with an April 1-filed criminal complaint included in the report that finds an FBI special agent pointing to “probable cause” in support of assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the U.S. violations. In the complaint, it’s said that the alleged assault took place at a bar on the ship, with surveillance footage said to show DeGiorgio “choking the victim,” who is identified only as “M.A.” in the docs.
As for what allegedly went down, here’s how the complaint lays it out: Per the authorities, surveillance video captured the alleged victim dancing, at one point throwing up a middle finger said to have been aimed at a woman, presumably DeGiorgio’s wife, who was later interviewed. Prior to the middle finger, it’s alleged that she had told the unidentified barefoot dancer to put his shoes on, at which point he allegedly responded by telling her to “shut up.” The individual, however, is not accused of making contact with the woman, identified as Nichol DeGiorgio.
From there, Kenneth is alleged to have walked over to the man, at which point he’s accused of grabbing him “by the neck” and choking him. He’s further accused of telling the alleged victim he would “fucking kill” him. The complaint adds that the alleged victim felt as though “his throat was going to be ripped out.”
Complex has reached out to First American Financial Corporation and Virgin Voyages for comment. This story may be updated.
A spokesperson for DeGiorgio’s legal team, meanwhile, said in a statement shared with Complex on Friday that their client had “responded to the actions of an individual who harassed his wife” during the incident.
“Mr. DeGiorgio responded to the actions of an individual who harassed his wife, making her feel threatened and intimidated,” the spokesperson told Complex. “Although charged with a simple misdemeanor, Mr. DeGiorgio looks forward to being absolved of any wrongdoing.”
