Left: Paul Labiner and his son, Brandon Labiner. Right: Brandon Labiner (images via Law Office of Paul S. Labiner).
A lawyer accused of stealing from a family trust fund and causing the near-ruin of his father's law firm is now facing murder charges.
Brandon Labiner, 34, is behind bars after his arrest Sunday following the discovery of a dead body inside the building that houses the law firm where he worked with his father, Paul Labiner, 68. West Palm Beach NBC affiliate WPTV, citing police sources, reported that the body was found at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday inside a building complex called The Monterey, which houses a variety of businesses, including the Law Office of Paul S. Labiner.
The victim has not yet been identified, but a heavily redacted probable cause affidavit says that the victim is male.
According to a statement by Boca Raton police spokesperson Officer Jessica Desir, the victim was "located by a family member in a breezeway near the parking garage" of the building. The victim "appeared to have been shot multiple times" and died at the scene, the statement says.
Investigators identified a person of interest and "determined that subject had an active warrant out of Broward County." That person, the statement says, had barricaded himself inside a building around three miles away from The Monterey.
"Crisis Negotiators spoke with subject's attorney who assisted officers with having the subject exit the building," the police press release says. The subject cooperated and was taken into custody without incident. At the time, the subject was arrested on the active warrant."
According to police, surveillance video was obtained "linking the person of the interest to the homicide."
A heavily redacted probable cause affidavit says that officers were called to the parking garage after reports that the victim had been shot. An unidentified person who was believed to have called 911 "was heard hysterically screaming."
A different unidentified witness told police that "he heard four gunshots" at around 3:55 p.m. while he was outside the building "smoking his vape pen," but he did not witness the shooting or call 911, the affidavit said.
The victim was found to have his keys, cellphone, and wallet — still containing "cash and miscellaneous cards" — on him at the time of his death.
Sheriff's Office records indicate that Brandon Labiner was booked into a Palm Beach County, Florida, detention center on Sunday.
Brandon Labiner had worked with his father in the family's trusts and estates firm until September 2022, when Paul Labiner sued his son, accusing him of stealing funds from a family trust and, through alleged incompetence, diminishing the firm's caseload.
Paul Labiner also alleged that he was injured during a "physical altercation" with his son, WPTV reported.
According to Florida court records, the younger Labiner's law license has been under emergency suspension since April.
Brandon Labiner's first court appearance was scheduled for Monday, WPTV reported.
