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Pontiac ? Darren McCarty has battled financial and substance abuse problems, but the retired Red Wings star and his new wife say in court papers that four ex-friends are harassing them after failing to draw McCarty back into a partying lifestyle.
McCarty, 40, and his wife, Sheryl, 37, got personal protection orders last month against three Oakland County women and a Macomb County man for stalking and harassment, Oakland Circuit Court records show.
The McCartys accuse the four of trying to get the couple fired from their jobs, threatening both through text messages and phone calls, posting malicious comments on McCarty's work and appearance websites, and threatening violence against them.
Oakland Circuit Judge Mary Ellen Brennan granted the protection orders on May 22 against Tonya Juhl, 37, and Kimberley Mitchell, 38, both of Clawson; Anne Marie Samulski, 22, of Royal Oak; and Louis Barbato, 40, of Shelby Township.
The orders, good for a year, bar Juhl, Mitchell, Samulski and Barbato from approaching, following or contacting the McCartys or going to their home or workplaces. McCarty works for the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association, and worked in the past year for a Detroit pawn shop; his wife is a nurse at Beaumont Hospital.
"All we want is to be left alone," McCarty said in an interview. "I ignored some of the things they were doing and was willing to let it go, until they started threatening my wife and me. Death threats.
"They don't like me because I'm not running around with them anymore, and they don't like her because we got married and just want to get on with our lives."
Sheryl McCarty described the four as "delusional, obsessed hockey fans."
"We like all the real fans, but these people don't love Darren, they love No. 25," she said, citing her husband's number. "And when they no longer had him around, they got mad."
Sheryl McCarty said she filed a complaint about harassing threats and emails with the Royal Oak police in late April, weeks after the couple married.
"We get a lot of these types of complaints, but there really isn't enough to warrant criminal charges at this time," said Royal Oak Police Lt. Thomas Goad. "We have contacted the people, and it remains under investigation."
Police recommended the McCartys seek the protection orders, Goad said. Violation could mean up to 93 days in jail.
Mitchell denied the couple's claims but would not elaborate.
"I can't say anything because of the personal protection order," she said. "What they say is totally false, and I have a lot more to say, but I don't want to go to jail."
Jeffrey Lance Abood, an attorney for Juhl, said he is looking into the claims. According to court records, Juhl and Samulski are waitresses who dated McCarty ? apparently unbeknownst to each other ? off and on from December 2009 to March 2010.
"We don't know what they are attempting to accomplish ? there seems to be some vindictive ulterior motive to this because my client and another are former girlfriends of his," Abood said of the McCartys. "I don't know if Tonya even knows Sheryl."
Samulski and Barbato could not be reached for comment.
Something is just not right with McCarty's version , hope I'm wrong. Sez he's working at a Pawn Shop sure not the healthiest environment to work. Hope he keeps his life together.
Pontiac ? Darren McCarty has battled financial and substance abuse problems, but the retired Red Wings star and his new wife say in court papers that four ex-friends are harassing them after failing to draw McCarty back into a partying lifestyle.
McCarty, 40, and his wife, Sheryl, 37, got personal protection orders last month against three Oakland County women and a Macomb County man for stalking and harassment, Oakland Circuit Court records show.
The McCartys accuse the four of trying to get the couple fired from their jobs, threatening both through text messages and phone calls, posting malicious comments on McCarty's work and appearance websites, and threatening violence against them.
Oakland Circuit Judge Mary Ellen Brennan granted the protection orders on May 22 against Tonya Juhl, 37, and Kimberley Mitchell, 38, both of Clawson; Anne Marie Samulski, 22, of Royal Oak; and Louis Barbato, 40, of Shelby Township.
The orders, good for a year, bar Juhl, Mitchell, Samulski and Barbato from approaching, following or contacting the McCartys or going to their home or workplaces. McCarty works for the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association, and worked in the past year for a Detroit pawn shop; his wife is a nurse at Beaumont Hospital.
"All we want is to be left alone," McCarty said in an interview. "I ignored some of the things they were doing and was willing to let it go, until they started threatening my wife and me. Death threats.
"They don't like me because I'm not running around with them anymore, and they don't like her because we got married and just want to get on with our lives."
Sheryl McCarty described the four as "delusional, obsessed hockey fans."
"We like all the real fans, but these people don't love Darren, they love No. 25," she said, citing her husband's number. "And when they no longer had him around, they got mad."
Sheryl McCarty said she filed a complaint about harassing threats and emails with the Royal Oak police in late April, weeks after the couple married.
"We get a lot of these types of complaints, but there really isn't enough to warrant criminal charges at this time," said Royal Oak Police Lt. Thomas Goad. "We have contacted the people, and it remains under investigation."
Police recommended the McCartys seek the protection orders, Goad said. Violation could mean up to 93 days in jail.
Mitchell denied the couple's claims but would not elaborate.
"I can't say anything because of the personal protection order," she said. "What they say is totally false, and I have a lot more to say, but I don't want to go to jail."
Jeffrey Lance Abood, an attorney for Juhl, said he is looking into the claims. According to court records, Juhl and Samulski are waitresses who dated McCarty ? apparently unbeknownst to each other ? off and on from December 2009 to March 2010.
"We don't know what they are attempting to accomplish ? there seems to be some vindictive ulterior motive to this because my client and another are former girlfriends of his," Abood said of the McCartys. "I don't know if Tonya even knows Sheryl."
Samulski and Barbato could not be reached for comment.
Something is just not right with McCarty's version , hope I'm wrong. Sez he's working at a Pawn Shop sure not the healthiest environment to work. Hope he keeps his life together.
