Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology are the targets of an amended Florida lawsuit that seeks more than a quarter of a billion dollars, FBLA has learned.

Ex-Scientologist Peter Letterese, using the RICO statute against the Church of Scientology, originally sought $250,000,000 in a suit filed in July. In the amended suit, filed Oct. 24, he added another $15 million to the total.

In court papers obtained by FBLA, Letterese leveled serious charges against Cruise and the Church. He claimed that Cruise and Scientology bribed and improperly influenced a federal judge, a Florida state judge and a federal bankruptcy trustee to tie up his original law suit in bankruptcy court.

Cruise could not be reached for comment and the Church of Scientology did not return phone calls. (Click here to see Tom Cruise discuss Scientology.)

"Letterese's lawyers are really putting a lot on the line,
potentially their careers, accusing federal and state judges of taking pay offs," said Los Angeles private eye Paul Barresi, who had done some work for Cruise in the past.

"Without compelling proof to support these scurrilous allegations, like video of the judges being handed envelopes stuffed with cash, I think Letterese stands a better chance of successfully bouncing down a flight of stairs on his head than he has of winning this law suit," Barresi added.