US judge sanctions influencer defendant for insulting counsel, ignoring orders; fines $1,000

Published Jul 28, 04:49 PM UTC

In the case Copycat Legal PLLC v. Peralo, U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz of the Southern District of Florida issued a sanctions order against pro se defendant Charles A. Peralo, a social media influencer with millions of followers. Peralo repeatedly failed to obey court orders, including missing deadlines to file an answer and refusing to participate in a joint scheduling report. He also sent insulting and profane emails to opposing counsel, calling them a 'fat f***ing loser' and a 'f***ing moron,' and threatened to send a bag of dog feces. The court found his conduct constituted bad faith and ordered him to pay $1,000 into the court's sanction fund by August 14, 2026, warning that further misconduct would result in more severe sanctions. The underlying dispute is a libel case stemming from a copyright infringement claim.