Con Artist Convicted of Trying to Blackmail Anchorwoman
A man described as a con artist was convicted of trying to blackmail a local anchorwoman by asking for $30,000 to help block the publication of X-rated photos of her, which in fact did not exist.
The Superior Court jury deliberated for about four hours before finding Gilbert Cabot, 44, guilty Thursday of attempted extortion and conspiracy in connection with the plot against KTLA anchorwoman Jann Carl.
“I feel relieved,” Carl said. “What he tried to do to me was wrong, and at least for a while, or as long as his sentence turns out to be, he won’t be able to find any more victims.”
Cabot faces up to a five-year prison term at his sentencing Sept. 11. Cabot, whom prosecutors said is a veteran con artist, had been calling Carl since 1985 to try to get her to let him act as her manager, Carl said. She repeatedly refused.
He then phoned her to say a woman had planned to sell nude photos of the anchorwoman taken from a sexually explicit videotape to a national magazine, but that he could block the sale by paying the woman $30,000, prosecutors said.
Carl, knowing the tape did not exist, worked with authorities on a sting operation that resulted in Cabot’s arrest.
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