A Los Angeles judge on Tuesday declared a mistrial and dismissed theft charges against the former manager to the late Marvel Comics pioneer Stan Lee, Keya Morgan, CNN reports.
Keya Morgan had pleaded not guilty to three counts of grand theft from an elder after prosecutors alleged he stole more than $200,000 in proceeds of memorabilia sales from Lee before his 2018 death.
At trial, a 12-person jury deadlocked 11-1 in favor of acquittal, and Superior Court Judge George Lomeli subsequently dismissed the charges.
“We are disappointed in the outcome of the case but appreciate that the jurors carefully reviewed the evidence and testimony,” LA District Attorney George Gascón told CNN in a statement. “I thank the trial team for their hard work and dedication on this challenging case.”
Morgan’s attorney, Alex Kessel, called the case “baseless” in a statement to CNN.
“Mr Lee, if alive would never tolerate or agree his trusted business partner Keya Morgan should have been prosecuted,” Kessel said.
Keya Morgan was first arrested in 2019 and accused of collecting money from memorabilia sales, such as autograph signings, and not transferring the money to Lee.
Lee, the patriarch of Marvel Comics and its superheroes including Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man and the Fantastic Four, died in 2018 at the age of 95.
Before his death, Lee was granted a temporary restraining order against Morgan that banned him from abusing, harassing or contacting Lee and required him to stay at least 100 yards away.
“I loved Stan Lee like a father,” Morgan said in a statement after the charges were dismissed. “It was one of the greatest honors of my life to serve him for almost 10 years. Stan repeatedly told the LAPD police, adult protective services, and his lawyer Rob Reynolds on camera that he never had a problem with me. … I hope the true story comes out soon.”