A Miami woman has filed a federal lawsuit accusing a former assistant state attorney and others in the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office of intimidating her into testifying during the resentencing of a convicted gang leader.
Tricia Geter Pinder, a key witness in the case against her former boyfriend Corey Smith, alleges prosecutors lied to her and caused years of emotional distress. Smith, once the leader of the “John Does” gang, had his original death sentence overturned and was resentenced in 2024 to 30 years in prison.
According to the lawsuit, former assistant state attorney Michael Von Zamft and others pressured Geter Pinder to testify during the resentencing process. The complaint claims prosecutors threatened that convicted killers could target her and warned she could face jail or prosecution if she refused to cooperate.
The lawsuit also cites recorded jailhouse phone calls in which Von Zamft allegedly discussed Geter Pinder with another witness, convicted killer Latravis Gallashaw. In one call, Von Zamft reportedly suggested he would “find a way to make her unavailable” if she did not testify so that her prior testimony could still be used in court.
Geter Pinder’s attorney said the recordings have been public since 2024 and form a key part of the case. The lawsuit alleges the experience left Geter Pinder suffering from severe emotional distress, anxiety, paranoia about her safety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
During the resentencing proceedings in 2024, a judge removed Von Zamft and another prosecutor from the case because of their actions.
Michael Von Zamft later resigned from the State Attorney’s Office. He denied the allegations when reached by phone, saying he never threatened witnesses and calling the lawsuit “based upon falsehoods and mistruths.”
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office confirmed that three defendants named in the lawsuit still work for the agency but declined to comment further. A Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy who allegedly acted as a liaison between prosecutors and Geter Pinder is also named as a defendant.
Attorneys for Geter Pinder say the lawsuit cannot proceed in federal court until Von Zamft, who has reportedly moved out of state, is formally served with the complaint.