Cliff Thomas, Sr., a resident of Loudoun County, Virginia, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging violations of his civil rights following an arrest he claims was unwarranted. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on November 12, 2025, naming Loudoun County Sheriff Michael L. Chapman and Deputy Sheriff Ram Patel as defendants.
The lawsuit arises from an incident on June 21, 2024, when Thomas was arrested at his home in Chantilly, Virginia. According to the complaint, Deputy Patel executed a warrant for Thomas’s arrest based on allegations that he failed to return a rental vehicle from Home Depot. However, Thomas contends that the rental agreement was between Home Depot and Courtland Farm Manor LLC—a company for which he acted merely as an agent—and not him personally. “The contract imposes no personal obligation on Plaintiff,” the complaint states, highlighting that this misunderstanding led to his wrongful arrest and subsequent prosecution. The criminal charge against Thomas was eventually dismissed nolle prosequi on August 26, 2024.
Thomas’s suit accuses both Deputy Patel and Sheriff Chapman of false arrest and malicious prosecution under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, asserting that they acted without probable cause and with reckless disregard for the truth. He argues that these actions violated his Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights by depriving him of liberty and due process. The lawsuit details how this ordeal caused him emotional distress, physical injury, loss of income, reputational damage, and required emergency medical treatment.
In seeking justice from the court, Thomas is pursuing compensatory damages amounting to $750,000 along with punitive damages of $250,000. Additionally, he requests coverage for costs and interest associated with the case. His complaint underscores the severe impact of the defendants’ actions on his life: “Plaintiff suffered deprivation of liberty…and psychological harm continues.”
Representing himself pro se in this legal battle against law enforcement officials adds another layer to this complex case where Cliff Thomas Sr., a service-disabled veteran who served during the Gulf War as a United States Marine Corps member—honorably discharged—seeks redress for what he perceives as grave injustices done unto him by those sworn to uphold justice themselves.
The attorneys representing Defendants Patel and Chapman are affiliated with the Office of the County Attorney in Leesburg; however specific names were not disclosed within available documentation regarding their representation or involvement thus far into proceedings initiated by Mr.CliffordThomasSr.’s filing identified under Case ID:1:25-cv-02024-LMB-WBP before Judge(s) yet unnamed within records provided at time writing thereof…
