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FARMINGTON -- A woman has been charged with felony extortion, accused of blackmailing a man at Hill Air Force Base over a rape allegation.
The 31-year-old woman appeared in 2nd District Court on Monday where her attorney said she was hoping to discuss a plea deal with prosecutors. She is charged with theft by extortion, a second-degree felony.
"She's charged in this case, but originally I think she was the victim of a rape," her attorney, Rich Gallegos, said outside of court.
According to charging documents, the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations (OSI) received a report in July 2008 of a possible blackmail involving rape allegations. Investigators were handed e-mails from a woman demanding "another" $5,000 from a Hill Air Force Base employee for allegedly sexually assaulting her.
"The victim admitted that he entered into a contract with the defendant where she would agree not to report the alleged assault to law enforcement if he would pay her $45,000," an investigator with OSI wrote in an arrest warrant affidavit filed with the charges. "OSI received a copy of the contract and verified through bank records that the defendant received and cashed personal checks from the victim totaling $46,000."
KSL does not generally name victims of an alleged sexual assault. Gallegos said the woman filed a police report in Seattle over the alleged rape, which took place several years ago. He claims the alleged victim waited until the statute of limitations expired on the rape case before making an extortion claim.
Deputy Davis County Attorney Bill McGuire said any rape investigation would need to be conducted by Washington State police.
"If they wanted to pursue it, they could pursue it, but it has nothing to do with our situation," he said.
The woman is due back in court later this month.
E-mail: bwinslow@ksl.com
