(Chicago, Illinois) A Chicago man who surfed Internet gay chat rooms and struck up conversations with other men, finding out details of their lives, has been charged with attempting to blackmail them.
Police allege the man "sweet talked" the victims into emailing him compromising pictures of themselves. He threatened to expose the men's sexuality to his wife unless he sent him money.
The victim wire-transferred $1,000, but the man demanded an additional $2,500, federal agents said.
The victim then hired a private investigator, who traced the man through the email account and the wire-transfer. The FBI was then notified.
While the federal investigators were looking into the man he made additional email demands for money from the man.
He was arrested after surveillance tapes showed him picking up one of two wire-transfers from the victim.
Brett T. Wohl, 26, has been charged in federal court with extortion. Wohl was ordered held in detention pending trial after prosecutors argued Wohl was a danger and a flight risk.
Wohl was on parole after serving time for a similar offense in 2002. At that time Wohl pleaded guilty to one felony count of extortion. He was sentenced to four months in prison, four months of home confinement and three years of supervised release.
Police say people need to be suspicious of anyone they meet on the Internet.
http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/05/052104blackmail.htm
Especially if they are cute, hung and 'up for it' LOLPolice say people need to be suspicious of anyone they meet on the Internet.
Regards,
Lee
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