$800,000 Federal Settlement Secured for Child Survivor in Major Civil Rights and Serious Negligence Case
June 26, 2025
Attorney Dan N. Fiorito III secured an $800,000 settlement from the federal government in B.E. v. United States, a high-impact case filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). The lawsuit arose from gross negligence by the U.S. Probation Office, which placed a convicted double-murderer and registered sex offender into a home with a four-year-old child on the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation—without any disclosure to her guardian or tribal authorities.
The man, Leslie Guy Wilson, was under federal supervision when he sexually abused the child over a two-year period. Despite violating probation repeatedly (for drug use, absconding, and other violations), Wilson was never removed. The complaint argued that U.S. Probation failed to supervise him, protect the child, or notify the tribe of the danger. He was later convicted of third-degree assault following a reduction of his original child rape conviction.
“This case exposed a serious breach of federal responsibility,” said Fiorito. “It never should have happened. The government had the tools to protect this child and chose not to use them.”
The case was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (Case No. 2:22-cv-00695). Mr. Fiorito faced a Motion to Dismiss as the Government argued all claims were time-barred as there is no minor tolling under the FTCA. He developed a theory that his client had been abandoned and that equitable tolling applied. The Government agreed to mediate. Despite facing issues related to the statute of limitations, the federal government agreed to settle the case for $800,000, reflecting the long-term trauma suffered and the scale of institutional failure.
📰 Media coverage: Seattle Times article