Kevin Costner, accused of fooling actor Stephen Baldwin and a friend out of millions of dollars for an investment in an oil spill clean up device, has been cleared of all charges.
Baldwin and partner Spyridon Contogouris claimed to be owed $17 million in damages after they sold their shares in oil-separating centrifuges just before BP scooped up 32 of them (a $52 million purchase). Lawyers for Costner say that the pair knew about the order and walked anyway.
Costner, after the verdict, said he felt vindicated:
"My name means more to me than money and that's why we didn't settle."
Baldwin's lawyer, on the other hand, was disappointed:
"We're disappointed. We thought we proved rather convincingly that these two guys, Mr Costner and Mr Smith, defrauded us. The jury saw it a different way but we respect the jury's verdict."
by RTT Staff Writer
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