((HT: Louisville Courier Journal))
Six days after the disclosure that University of Louisville men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino was the target of an extortion attempt, a Louisville woman was charged today with extortion and lying to the FBI.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S District Court, Karen Sypher, with the help of unnamed others, tried to extort money from Pitino with threats to harm his reputation in connection with events that occurred in 2003.
The complaint, filed by FBI agent Steven J. Wight, said she lied to the FBI when she told investigators that she didn’t know the identity of the person who was making threatening phone calls to Pitino.
According to an affidavit by Wight, Pitino told investigators that he received three voice-mail messages in late February threatening to go public with criminal allegations against him.
Pitino said that after receiving the first two messages he met with Sypher and her husband, Tim, according to the affidavit, and asked what she wanted.
According to the affidavit, they discussed the possibility of a house, cars and money. The affidavit goes on to say that Tim Sypher delivered to Pitino on March 6 a written list of demands from Karen Sypher calling for college tuition for her children, two cars of her choice, a house paid off, $3,000 cash per month and a lump-sum payment of $75,000 if Pitino leaves U of L.
According to the affidavit, the note says, “If all is accepted, I will protect Rick Pitino’s name for life.”
The affidavit said she later withdrew her demands and through an attorney requested $10 million from Pitino.
The university disclosed last Saturday that Pitino had asked the FBI to investigate.
Pitino gave no specifics on the actions he claims are being taken against him, but said in the statement, “I intend to vigorously defend my reputation and the character of my family against any criminal scheme to extort money.”
Louisville attorney Thomas Clay later called the newspaper and confirmed that Sypher, his client, was under investigation. She is the estranged wife of U of L basketball equipment manager Tim Sypher.
FBI spokesman David Beyer confirmed that Pitino told the agency last month that he “was the victim of an apparent extortion and we have an ongoing investigation into the matter.”
News organizations, including The Courier-Journal, have interviewed Karen Sypher but elected not to report the nature of her allegations because they could not be corroborated and because she didn’t make any complaints to police.
Also, Clay said she would have no counterclaims against Pitino.
Both U of L President James Ramsey and athletic director Tom Jurich said in separate statements that they support Pitino and his decision to go to the FBI.
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