TROY – As Jennifer Raeker-Bickel’s attorney chases down Edna Roberts’ financial records in an effort to reclaim a settlement between the two, another lawsuit has been filed.

Edna Roberts and Carol Wieman filed a defamation and breach of contract lawsuit against Bickel, accusing her of violating the same agreement a judge previously ruled Roberts violated (see accompanying story).

According to the lawsuit, Bickel publicly stated in front of two named witnesses that Roberts was a “thief,” “a con artist,” and “does not help animals” while pledging to make her life a “living hell.”

“By allowing and failing to prevent its agent, Jennifer Raecker-Bickel (SIC), from making false and malicious public statements, defendant Pets Alone, Inc. and defendant Jennifer Raecker-Bickdl breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in the contract with Plaintiff.”

The lawsuit also indicates Roberts and Weiman were unaware of potential litigation facing Raeker-Bickel and PALS before agreeing to the settlement in 2021.

The legal battles between PALS and Roberts dates back to 2017 when PALS and its board president, Raeker-Bickel, filed separate defamation of character lawsuits against Roberts and several others.

PALS accused them of making false statements to the media and online regarding shelter representatives taking dogs from owners’ yards and readopting them to generate revenue.

While Roberts and the other defendants won that case, PALS and Bickel filed other suits, including an appeal.

Roberts and two other defendants, Wieman and Megan Pruitt, filed a countersuit in 2020 for malicious prosecution and the day before the case went to trial in 2021, agreed to a settlement that included payouts from PALS’ insurance company and Bickel.

However, PALS and Bickel contend Roberts violated the settlement agreement by disparaging the group in Facebook messages to a private individual and filed a lawsuit in 2022 for breach of contract.

Roberts defied a court order requiring her to turn over two years worth of Facebook messages.

Consequently, at a July 2 hearing, citing that defiance, Judge Ash ruled in favor of PALS, ordering Roberts to return the original settlement along with 9 percent interest, court and lawyer fees, totaling more than $275K.

No hearings in the most recent lawsuit have been scheduled.