FCCI CEO terminated by his board following incident at Sarasota restaurant

May 13--SARASOTA -- Insurance Group announced this week that the company's board of directors voted to terminate Craig Johnson as chief executive officer and president.

The board also voted to remove Johnson from FCCI's board, effective immediately. FCCI, based at Lakewood Ranch, is a commercial property and casualty insurance company, and one of the largest employers in the Bradenton-Sarasota area.

"The termination follows a recent personal incident unrelated to the company in which the Board determined that Mr. Johnson's conduct did not meet the Company's standards. Immediately after learning of the incident, the Board carefully reviewed the situation and placed Mr. Johnson on a leave of absence. The Board has continued to monitor the situation. Based upon the Board's review, the Board determined it was in the best interests of the company to terminate Mr. Johnson," FCCI announced on its website.

On Sunday, the Board appointed Christopher S. Shoucair interim CEO and president.

Johnson, 51, faces charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting a law enforcement officer without violence, and trespass-fail to leave by order of owner, following an incident May 7 at the Wicked Cantina, 1603 N. Tamiami Trail, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The owners of Wicked Cantina asked that Craig Johnson, Nathan Robert Johnson, 22, and Ethan James McGregor, 22, be removed from the property "due to their high level of intoxication, and that they were instigating arguments with other customers," according to the police synopsis.

Craig Johnson was told several times to leave the property by staff and police, refused, and attempted to strike law enforcement officers and pushed officers, according to the police report.

Craig Johnson's son, Nathan Robert Johnson, faces charges of battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting a law enforcement officer without violence, and trespass-fail to leave by order of owner.

Ethan McGregor faces charges of resisting a law enforcement officer with violence, and trespass-fail to leave by order of owner.

Craig Johnson's attorney, Derek Byrd, was out of the office and unavailable for comment late Wednesday afternoon when the Herald reached out to his office.

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