2 Accused of Trying to Extort $50,000 From Sonics’ Dale Ellis

Two men were arrested after Seattle SuperSonics guard Dale Ellis allegedly was the target of a $50,000 extortion scheme, King County police said.

Both men were subsequently released but an investigation continues, police said Tuesday.

King County prosecutors said they will decide by Thursday whether to charge a 22-year-old Federal Way man and a 24-year-old Seattle man in connection with the case, the Morning News Tribune in Tacoma reported today.

According to King County police reports, the men are suspected of calling Ellis’ attorney, Steve Hayne, last week offering to accept money in exchange for keeping quiet about alleged damaging information to Ellis’ pending criminal driving case.

Ellis, the Sonics’ leading scorer, recently was arrested for investigation of reckless driving and driving while intoxicated. Ellis was driving a 1989 Mercedes-Benz that struck a highway barrier Jan. 11. He received three fractured ribs and a collapsed lung in the accident.

“They claimed to have information that was very damaging to Dale, including allegations of drug use,” Hayne said. “We knew this information was false, because a blood test revealed that Dale had not consumed any drugs.

“The two offered not to reveal this claim to the prosecutor in return for $50,000 from Dale,” Hayne told the Morning News Tribune. “Dale did not care how much they were asking; he wanted nothing to do with it. He agreed with me that we should contact the prosecutor’s officer immediately.”