When it comes to extortion case, usually everyone involved loses. Count Louisville coach Rick Pitino among the loses. Sure, the U.S. attorney’s office succeeded in convicting Karen Sypher of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliating against a witness. But the case exposed Pitino in a way that no one would ask for.
The case brought to light ugly details about Pitino’s personal life, beginning with a sexual encounter Pitino had with Sypher seven years ago. “I used extremely poor judgment and I’ve made my peace with God and my family,” Pitino said by phone to ESPN.
Extortion is defined as the obtaining of property from another induced by wrongful use of actual or threatened force, violence, or fear, or under color of official right. More typically, extortion is used to mean illegally compelling someone to give you their property by instilling fear in them that you will expose a secret, harm someone, damage property, accuse someone of a crime, or perform some other act designed to harm the parting you are extorting.
Related Resources:
- Extortion (FindLaw)
- Guilty Verdict in John Stamos Extortion Trial (FindLaw’s Celebrity Justice)
- Letterman Extortion: Producer Busted; What is Extortion? (FindLaw’s Blotter)
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