New York Talk Show Host David Letterman Target of Alleged Extortion Plot
Robert Joel Halderman of Norwalk Connecticut has been indicted for attempted grand larceny in the first degree by a Manhattan Grand Jury for allegedly attempting to extort two million dollars from late night talk show host David Letterman. Halderman – who is a producer of the show “48 Hours Mystery” - allegedly threatened to make public potentially embarrassing information about Letterman if he did not get paid two million dollars.
A person can commit larceny by extortion several different ways including when the person compels or induces a victim to deliver property to himself or some third person by means of instilling in the victim fear that –if the property is not delivered, the person will expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact-whether true or false-tending to subject the victim to hatred, contempt or ridicule.
A person is guilty of grand larceny in the first degree when he steals property by extortion valued at more than one million dollars. Grand larceny in the first degree is a class B Felony. Attempted Grand Larceny in the First Degree is a Class C Felony.
If convicted of attempted larceny in the first degree, Halderman faces up to 5 to 15 years in state prison. However, an indictment is merely an allegation and Halderman is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
