According to the lawsuit, filed on Monday in New York, Ruelas, Dietl, and their lawyers began to access the computers and internet drive folders of the plaintiffs, who are a group of attorneys that worked for Reiser, in December 2023. The lawsuit alleges that they did so “with criminal, reckless, malicious, fraudulent intent devised to defraud” the plaintiffs and cover their “own misdeeds” related to their efforts to spy on Reiser.
The lawsuit claims that Ruelas, Dietl, and their lawyers used “subterfuge, dissemination and other fraudulent pretext” to continue their campaign of alleged “harassment and abuse” against Reiser, who was Ruelas’ former fiancée and a cast member of ‘RHONJ’. The lawsuit says that they took files, both private and professional, from the computers they illegally accessed, and used them to discredit and intimidate Reiser.
The lawsuit also accuses Ruelas, Dietl, and their lawyers of violating the Federal Wiretap Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the New Jersey Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and injunctive relief.
Ruelas and Dietl have a history of involvement in ‘RHONJ’
Ruelas, who is married to ‘RHONJ’ star Teresa Giudice, and Dietl, who is a former NYPD detective and a Fox News commentator, have been linked to the reality show in the past. Ruelas has appeared on the show as Giudice’s husband, and Dietl has been hired by Ruelas as a private investigator.
In the final episode of Season 13, which aired in May 2023, Ruelas told Giudice and several of the other housewives that Dietl “knows shit about everybody in this room”. He said that Dietl had brought him information on each person in the group, and that there was “so much more”.
Ruelas also said that he had hired Dietl to investigate Reiser, his ex-fiancée, who had filed a restraining order against him in June 2023. Reiser alleged that Ruelas had hired a private investigator to “stalk” her, and that he had been abusive and controlling during their relationship.
Ruelas and Dietl deny the allegations
Ruelas and Dietl have denied the allegations in the lawsuit, and have said that they will fight them in court. They have also claimed that the lawsuit is motivated by Reiser’s obsession with ‘RHONJ’ and her desire to get attention.
A source close to Ruelas told Page Six that the plaintiff, Kevin Johnson, who is one of the attorneys that represented Reiser, had testified under oath in court regarding his own conduct in the matter and was found to be not credible by the trial judge. The source also said that the court had found that Johnson had a “bizarre obsession” with ‘RHONJ’.
Dietl also told Page Six that the lawsuit was “a bunch of bullshit” and that he had done nothing wrong. He said that he had been hired by Ruelas to do a background check on Reiser, and that he had found out that she had a history of mental illness and drug abuse. He also said that he had never hacked anyone’s computer, and that he had evidence to prove his innocence.
