The Associated Press reports a new twist within the legal battle between Louisville men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino, 57, and previous car show model Karen Sypher, 50, of Louisville, Ky. Sypher was found guilty of three counts of extortion, two counts of lying to the FBI and one count of retaliating against a witness. The catalyst for the charges was Sypher’s series of attempts to extort millions in hush cash from Pitino after a 2003 sexual encounter. Sypher at first claimed that Pitino raped her, but Pitino denied the claim and was not charged. Sypher could face up to 26 years in jail, but she will likely serve less time. Post resource – Karen Sypher convicted of extortion in alleged Pitino rape by Newystype.com.
Frightening calls and letters haunted Pitino
Court records indicate that Rick Pitino received numerous telephone messages and two letters. The common theme was cash in exchange for silence on Sypher’s part. ”This was nothing more than a pure shakedown of Richard Pitino,” attorney Marisa Ford told jurors in the case. Attorney Marisa Ford said that “This was nothing more than a pure shakedown of Richard Pitino”. Karen Sypher’s defense attorney James Earhart claimed that his client had been “villainized” during the trial, and that Pitino had received privileged treatment during the proceedings.
Pitino described the sexual encounter as ‘unfortunate’
During his six hours of testimony, Pitino reportedly held the attention of the jury as he responded to questions concerning his admitted sexual encounter with Sypher in an empty Italian restaurant after hours. The sex was consensual and ‘unfortunate,’ he said. He said it was extremely difficult to own up to the affair before his family.
Sypher did not take the stand
Though Karen Sypher didn’t give testimony, a video interview was aired for the jury. In the interview, Karen Sypher made the Pitino rape allegation. She also spoke of the $ 3,000 Pitino gave her via his assistant Tim Sypher. In time, Karen Wise and Tim Sypher got married. In the ensuing years, the couple bumped into Pitino numerous times at area functions. Pitino insisted that Karen Sypher had wanted the cash for counseling and general medical needs, by Sypher claims she told Pitino she needed the cash for an abortion.
Alleged rape, circa 2009
AP reports indicate that Pitino revealed in jury testimony that he also received menacing phone calls from an unidentified man in February 2009. A male who has not been identified threatened Pitino much as Karen Sypher had done in previous years since their 2003 encounter. “He mentioned the word rape. I got very sick to my stomach,” Pitino said. Pitino did not report any of this to authorities, as he wanted to exercise his own form of damage control first.
Associated Press
nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/38574025/ns/sports-college_basketball/
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