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May 20, 2004
Chicago Man Arrested for Internet
Extortion
Thomas J. Kneir, Special Agent in Charge of
the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced
today the arrest of BRETT T. WOHL, age 26, of 2439 North Kedzie in Chicago.
WOHL was arrested at his residence yesterday afternoon, without incident, by
FBI Special Agents.
WOHL will be charged in a criminal complaint to be filed later today in U.S.
District Court in Chicago with one count of Extortion, which is a felony
offense. After apparently engaging in a brief "on-line" relationship with an
out-of-state man, WOHL is alleged to have obtained sexually explicit
photographs of this individual. WOHL is then suspected of threatening to
disclose these photographs and their "on-line" relationship to the man's
wife and business partner if WOHL was not paid a sum of money. WOHL is
believed to have obtained $1000, and was attempting to obtain an additional
$2500 at the time of his arrest.
WOHL was arrested by the Chicago FBI in May of 2002, charged with attempting
to extort money from a Chicago area man in an almost identical internet
scheme. WOHL pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced four months
incarceration and four months home confinement.
WOHL was held overnight at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in
Chicago and is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ian H.
Levine at 1:00 PM today, at which time he will be formally charged. If
convicted of Extortion, WOHL faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years
incarceration.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that
all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty
in a court of law.
EDITOR's NOTE: A copy of the complaint filed against WOHL will be available
later today from the Chicago FBI Press Office at (312) 786-2645.
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