There is no verdict in the Nguyen v. Walmart lawsuit. Tony Nguyen’s claims against Walmart and its asset protection employee were dismissed with prejudice on February 7, 2025, through a joint stipulation that typically signals a private settlement, though no terms were disclosed on the court docket.1CourtListener. Nguyen v. Walmart Inc., 8:23-cv-004622PACER Monitor. Nguyen v. Walmart Inc. et al The case remains open against Hernando County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael McNeeley, with no trial date set and no ruling yet on his motion to dismiss.
What Happened With Walmart
Nguyen, Walmart Inc., and Walmart Asset Protection Specialist David Pettigrew filed a joint stipulation of dismissal with prejudice on February 3, 2025. Judge Mary Stenson Scriven endorsed the dismissal four days later, ordering each side to bear its own attorneys’ fees and costs.1CourtListener. Nguyen v. Walmart Inc., 8:23-cv-00462
“With prejudice” means Nguyen cannot refile these claims against Walmart or Pettigrew. A joint stipulation of dismissal, rather than a court ruling on the merits, generally reflects a negotiated resolution between the parties. The dollar amount, if any, was not filed publicly.2PACER Monitor. Nguyen v. Walmart Inc. et al Nguyen’s original complaint, filed March 2, 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, had sought $10 million in damages against all three defendants combined.1CourtListener. Nguyen v. Walmart Inc., 8:23-cv-00462
The Case Against the Deputy Continues
Deputy McNeeley filed a motion to dismiss the third through sixth claims of Nguyen’s amended complaint in 2023. On March 11, 2024, Judge Scriven took the motion under advisement and administratively closed the case while it was pending. After the Walmart dismissal in February 2025, the court asked for supplemental briefing on the motion. The most recent docket entries, from late February 2025, show McNeeley’s response to that briefing. The court has not ruled, and no trial date has been scheduled.1CourtListener. Nguyen v. Walmart Inc., 8:23-cv-00462
What the Lawsuit Was About
On November 27, 2022, a Walmart asset protection employee at the Spring Hill, Florida store called the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office to report a trespasser named Cody Vondelinde, telling dispatchers Vondelinde “tends to be violent and carries weapons.” When Deputy McNeeley arrived, the employee pointed to Nguyen, who was shopping with his girlfriend, and said, “That’s him right there.”3Hernando Sun. Hudson Man Sues HCSO for False Arrest, Racial Profiling4TampaBay28. Hudson Man Files Federal Lawsuit Against Hernando County Deputy, Walmart
McNeeley handcuffed Nguyen and drove him to the Hernando County Detention Center. According to Nguyen’s attorneys, the deputy never asked for identification before or during the arrest. Nguyen’s identity was checked at booking, at which point McNeeley confirmed Nguyen was not Vondelinde, apologized, told him he had not been trespassed from the store, and drove him home.5AsAmNews. Vietnamese American Racial Profiling, Falsely Accused of Crime, Trespassing Lawsuit Argues Vondelinde, the man Nguyen was allegedly mistaken for, is also of Asian descent and had been issued a trespass warning at that Walmart in 2018.6NextShark. Florida Walmart Racial Profiling
Two Accounts of the Arrest
Nguyen’s attorney called the incident a case of racial profiling. “This is a case of all Asians look alike,” the attorney said, “because when [the deputy] showed up, guess what he didn’t do? He didn’t identify Tony.”5AsAmNews. Vietnamese American Racial Profiling, Falsely Accused of Crime, Trespassing Lawsuit Argues
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office offered a different account. Spokesperson Denise Moloney said Nguyen himself had received a separate trespass warning at the same Walmart in 2013, after allegedly acting erratically following a dental procedure, and that the 2013 warning had “never been rescinded.” The agency maintained that probable cause existed regardless of the Vondelinde mix-up. Nguyen believed the 2013 warning had expired after a year. His trespass charges were eventually dropped.3Hernando Sun. Hudson Man Sues HCSO for False Arrest, Racial Profiling6NextShark. Florida Walmart Racial Profiling That dispute over whether the 2013 warning gave McNeeley probable cause is at the heart of the claims still pending against the deputy.