INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A Texas-based property management company has filed a lawsuit alleging it was defamed by viral social media claims tying its local land holdings to a controversial proposed Muslim community in Texas.
Epic Estates FL LLC filed the complaint seeking more than $50,000 in damages, accusing multiple defendants, including media personality Dennis Michael Lynch, podcaster Joann Binford and the Republican Executive Committee of Indian River County, of publishing false statements and participating in a civil conspiracy to defame the company and its principal, Venkatesh Yerramsetty.
According to the lawsuit, the company owns about 7,000 acres of former citrus groves west of Interstate 95 in Indian River County. During a September 2025 county commission meeting, Yerramsetty said the land could potentially be used for residential development, including a future home for a group of software engineers, as well as other uses such as affordable housing or commercial development.
The complaint alleges that, beginning in September 2025, defendants falsely claimed the company was affiliated with the East Plano Islamic Center and planning a development similar to “Epic City,” a proposed Muslim community in Texas. The lawsuit states those claims are untrue and that Epic Estates has no religious affiliation or plans to build such a development.
Despite county staff and commissioners denying the claims, the allegations gained traction through podcasts, social media posts and public meetings, including content from Binford’s show, “The Binford Chronicles,” and posts associated with Lynch’s “Team DML” platform, which the lawsuit says reaches more than 1.5 million followers.
The complaint also describes a January 2026 planning and zoning meeting that drew more than 200 people protesting an alleged “Epic Development,” despite the project not being listed on the agenda. The lawsuit claims social media posts and calls to action misled residents into believing county officials were considering such a proposal.
Epic Estates alleges the statements harmed its reputation and business, including the loss of a potential $30 million land sale, increased security costs and additional expenses responding to public inquiries. The company also claims it received a surge of calls and emails accusing it of ties to a religious agenda.
The defendants’ statements are described in the lawsuit as false and damaging; the court has not made any findings regarding those claims.