Superb Motors Inc. et al. v. Anthony Deo et al.
The case
Superb Motors Inc. et al. v. Anthony Deo et al., E.D.N.Y., No. 23-CV-6188 (JMW), order filed April 30, 2026. Copy of primary document: `~/workspace/goals/ai-sanctions-case-monitoring/files/sources/D-142-superb-motors-v-deo.pdf`.
What happened
Attorney Harry R. Thomasson filed papers containing two fictitious, AI-generated cases. When confronted, he blamed malware and did not show that he had verified the citations before filing.
The rule and the sanction
Rule 11, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The court imposed a monetary sanction of $1,500 on Thomasson.
How it could have been avoided
Verify every citation by checking it in a traditional legal database before filing; if a citation cannot be verified, it should not be submitted. Blaming malware does not satisfy the duty to make a reasonable inquiry.
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