In a custody battle that has left many in shock, Edward Engels, a Chicago father, filed an emergency motion on October 2, 2024, urging the court to suspend the parenting time of his ex-girlfriend, Feliza Castro, citing her dangerous, drug-fueled behavior documented on social media.
Feliza Castro
Engels provided evidence that Castro has repeatedly tested positive for drugs, including cocaine and ketamine, while livestreaming erratic behavior on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Despite overwhelming evidence, a Cook County Judge declared that the situation did not meet the threshold of an "emergency."
Cook County Judge Pamela Loza
“How is this not an emergency?” Engels asked outside the courthouse. “My daughter is living in a home where her mother is high on drugs, and the court refuses to intervene. It’s beyond belief.”
A Shocking Display of Drug Use and Neglect
Engels' emergency motion, filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, outlines Castro’s disturbing behavior, much of which she shares openly on social media. According to Engels, Castro regularly posts videos on Instagram and Facebook where she can be seen smoking marijuana, taking other substances, and acting erratically while their 11-year-old daughter is present in the home.
“She isn’t hiding this,” Engels said. “She’s showing the world how unfit she is as a parent, and the court is just looking the other way.”
Court records also reveal that Castro has failed multiple drug tests, including tests for cocaine, ketamine (a powerful tranquilizer), and opioids, yet the court has continued to grant her parenting time. Engels provided the court with these drug test results, in addition to screenshots and videos from Castro’s social media accounts that depict her ongoing drug use.
“My daughter is exposed to this every day,” Engels wrote in his motion. “It’s not a matter of if something will go wrong—it’s when.”
Beermann LLP and Alleged Corruption in the Courtroom
Engels’ frustrations do not stop with Castro’s behavior. In his filings, Engels points to what he believes is a corrupt system involving Beermann LLP, the law firm representing Castro, and several court officials, including Judge Pamela Loza and Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) Pamela Kuzniar.
Engels alleges that Tom Field, Castro’s attorney from Beermann LLP, is using his personal connections to sway the case in favor of Castro despite the mounting evidence against her.
Beermann LLP Attorney Tom Field
“It’s all rigged,” Engels claimed. “Field has Judge Loza and Kuzniar in his back pocket, and they’re working together to make sure Feliza doesn’t lose custody, no matter how dangerous she is.”
Engels alleges that Kuzniar, the GAL assigned to the case, has consistently downplayed Castro’s drug abuse in her reports. He believes this is due to Kuzniar’s personal relationship with Field, which he argues has led to biased assessments that have allowed Castro to continue parenting despite her unfit behavior.
“Kuzniar is supposed to be protecting my daughter, but instead, she’s protecting her friend’s client,” Engels said. “The whole system is broken, and it’s my daughter who is paying the price.”
Fraudulent Documents and Court Misconduct
One of the most troubling allegations in Engels’ emergency motion involves a fraudulent document submitted by Field and Castro. According to Engels, after Castro tested positive for cocaine, Field presented a falsified medical document to the court, claiming that the cocaine was administered during a medical procedure.
Engels called this defense "outrageous" and provided evidence showing that cocaine is no longer used in modern medical treatments.
116. The Respondent, through her counsel Dean Taradash, a childhood friend of boyfriend RossMorreale, knowingly submitted a fraudulent medical document claiming that cocaine had beenadministered during a nasal procedure — which Judge Rosenberg did not believe. (Exhibit 32B)
117. The document, before being completely redacted by Attorney Taradash, purported to show that the Respondent had been administered multiple drugs, including cocaine, lidocaine, breast mix and other drugs in a nasal procedure while having breast work done.
118. The Respondent and Attorney Dean Taradash committed fraud on the Court by submitting this document.
119. The use of cocaine in nasal procedures is nearly nonexistent today, as it is not FDA-approved, with safer alternatives like lidocaine used instead. However, the combination of lidocaine and cocaine is a toxic mix, capable of causing death.
120. The Parties should have done a better job of researching the combinations of cocaine and lidocaine together, prior to the Respondent and Attorney Taradash committing fraud on the Court.
“It was a lie, plain and simple,” Engels said. “They knew it was a lie but thought they could get away with it because of their connections. And the court accepted it.”
Despite Engels’ efforts to expose the fraudulent document and Castro’s repeated drug test failures, the court has consistently allowed her to retain partial custody of their daughter.
“I don’t understand how any of this is legal,” Engels said. “How is a mother who’s high on cocaine and ketamine being allowed to livestream her life and still parent?”
Michael Volpe Previously Covered the Reports of Castro’s Drug Use
Castro’s repeated drug use is nothing new. An investigative journalist and my partner Michael Volpe, who was on the UNKNOWN PODCAST, covered these issues SEVEN MONTHS AGO.
Eddie Engels has been in ongoing litigation over custody of his daughter with his ex-girlfriend Feliza Castro.
Castro has failed multiple drug tests.
One evaluation noted, “Feliza Castro is poorly compliant with her testing and occasionally has used prohibited substances.”
Finn didn’t care, instead finding Engels guilty- so to speak- of parental alienation.
His evaluation downplayed the drug test failures, and it recommended Castro get custody.
I reached out to Dr. Finn, but he did not respond to my voicemail at his office.
An email to Castro’s attorney, Dean Taradash, was left unreturned.
I also left an email for the guardian ad litem (GAL) in the case, Pam Kuzniar, but she did not respond…to me.
She did send an email to everyone involved in the case.
The email below was the email I sent her earlier that same day.
Hello,
My name is Michael Volpe. I'm an investigative journalist, and I run this site.
I am doing a story on Dr. David Finn and several dubious custody evaluations he has done. You are the GAL on the Feliza Castro V Eddie Engels case. Eddie has been deemed to be a parent alienator by Finn while Feliza has failed several drug tests. How does that work? What are your impressions of Dr. Finn? How was he chosen here?
Ms. Kuzniar is probably right that my email is not privileged, but I don’t think she is right in stating, “as Guardian ad Litem nothing told me is privileged.”
Ms. Kuzniar is a busy body. Even as she was firing off this email, she sent out a threatening motion to Engels and Castro.
That’s about $30,000 she’s charged both parents, and she’s looking to get a court order to force Eddie to pay for services he was coerced into receiving.
Pamela Kuzniar is a scumbag lawyer
Kuzniar, Finn, and everyone else on this case have done a bang-up job. The case number is 2013 D 8056. That means it was opened in 2013, and it still hasn’t been resolved.
In the bubble that is the Cook County courts, we can only conclude that drug use and fraud on the courts isn’t much of a priority.
At the hearing last Friday, Judge Fernandez dismissed Engels’ emergency motion, claiming that Engels had failed to properly cite the Illinois statute authorizing such a motion. Flustered by the judge’s request, Engels struggled to provide the specific law on the spot, leading the judge to dismiss the motion entirely and declare that the situation was not an emergency.
“I was there to protect my daughter, not argue legal technicalities,” Engels said. “But because I couldn’t cite the exact law on the spot, the judge threw out my motion. Meanwhile, my daughter is living in a dangerous environment, and no one is doing anything about it.”
To make matters worse, Engels supporters present at the hearing were ejected from the courtroom after being classified as “witnesses.”
“I was kicked out of court for being a witness while Feliza continues to post her drug use online,” one supporter said. “How can this be happening?”
New Allegations Lead to Another Emergency Motion
Over the past week, Engels’ daughter made new allegations of emotional abuse by Castro, giving Engels even more reason to seek immediate action from the court.
Determined not to let legal technicalities get in the way, Engels is now preparing to file another emergency motion, this time fully armed with the necessary legal citations. Engels plans to reference the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, specifically 750 ILCS 5/610.5, which allows for a modification of parenting time if a child’s environment poses a threat to their health or safety.
“This time, I’m going to make sure they can’t ignore it,” Engels vowed. “The law is on my side, and I’m not going to let them hide behind technicalities anymore.”
No Answers From Beermann LLP
“Successful outcomes involve the artful combination of intelligence, knowledge, empathy, emotion, wisdom, and communication.” - John “Big Daddy” D’Arco
Before publication, we asked Beermann LLP, including Managing Partner John D’Arco, for comment. We received no response as of press time. Here are the questions we asked:
From: Richard Luthmann <richard.luthmann@protonmail.com> Date: On Saturday, October 12th, 2024 at 10:23 AM Subject: Request for Comment: Engels v. Castro, 2013 D 80356 To: contact@beermannlaw.com <contact@beermannlaw.com>, ttfield@beermannlaw.com <ttfield@beermannlaw.com>, jmdarco@beermannlaw.com <jmdarco@beermannlaw.com> CC: Michael Volpe <mvolpe998@gmail.com>
Hello,
We have a request for comment on the above-referenced case.
What is Beermann LLP's response to the allegations that attorney Tom Field used personal relationships with court officials to influence the outcome of this custody case?
Can Beermann LLP comment on the accusations that Feliza Castro, your client, has failed multiple drug tests, yet continues to retain parenting time?
What is Beermann LLP’s stance on the claim that a fraudulent medical document was submitted to the court to explain away Ms. Castro's positive drug test for cocaine?
How does Beermann LLP address the accusation that its attorney, Tom Field, is working with Guardian Ad Litem Pamela Kuzniar and Judge Pamela Loza to manipulate the legal process in favor of Ms. Castro?
Does Beermann LLP have any comment on the broader accusations of corruption within the Cook County court system, particularly related to this case?
What is your response to the claim that the best interests of the child are being ignored in favor of protecting a client with a history of drug abuse?
Can you provide any clarification on the firm's involvement with social media evidence, such as videos posted by Ms. Castro on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, which allegedly depict her drug use?
How does Beermann LLP justify the continued defense of Ms. Castro in light of the father’s claims that their daughter’s safety is at risk?
What is Beermann LLP's official position on the ongoing legal fees and financial strain reportedly placed on Mr. Engels as part of this case?
Would Beermann LLP like to comment on any steps being taken to ensure that the child involved is placed in a safe environment?
As Engels prepares for another round in court, he is more determined than ever to protect his daughter and expose the corruption he believes is plaguing the case.
“Beermann LLP, Kuzniar, and Judge Loza are all working together to keep Feliza in the picture, no matter how many drugs she takes or how many times she fails a test,” Engels said. “They’re trying to break me financially, but I won’t let them win.”
Can Feliza Castro pass a drug test?
Engels, who has already spent tens of thousands of dollars on legal fees, drug tests, and supervised visitations, says he won’t stop fighting until his daughter is safe.
“This is about more than just money—it’s about my daughter’s life,” Engels said. “And I’m going to keep fighting until justice is served.”
As the case continues, all eyes are now on Beermann LLP and the alleged corruption within the Cook County court system. Stay tuned—this legal battle is far from over.
Cook County Judge Shocks in Custody Battle: Mom’s Drug Use on Social Media Dismissed as 'No Emergency'
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For story ideas, tips, or help: richard.luthmann@protonmail.com or (239) 631-5957.
Cook County Judge Shocks in Custody Battle: Mom’s Drug Use on Social Media Dismissed as 'No Emergency'