National Basketball Association

Ex-employee claims Shaq tried to frame him

Published Sep. 15, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

NBA veteran Shaquille O'Neal faces allegations that he hacked into a computer and destroyed email evidence in an attempt to frame a former employee, RadarOnline reported Wednesday.

Shawn Darling, who worked as a personal IT guy for O'Neal from 2007 to 2009, filed suit against the NBA star for "intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and civil R.I.C.O." [a racketeering charge] on Aug. 3 in Miami-Dade County, Fla., the report said.

Darling claims that O'Neal hacked into his voicemails and those belonging to an alleged mistress, Vanessa Lopez, who has filed a separate lawsuit against O'Neal.

The suit also claims that O'Neal used law enforcement contacts to frame Darling for a criminal offense and destroy evidence he held relating to Shaq's alleged extramarital affairs.

Darling alleges that "O'Neal, along with his houseboy Joe Caballero, disposed of [Darling's] computer in the lake behind O'Neal's house and gave him cash to buy another replacement I-Mac."

Darling has an extensive criminal record, the report said.