KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A 39-year-old suburban Kansas City man is accused of extorting $3 million from a businessman who thought the money was going toward bribing judges and paying off lawyers in pending drug cases.
The Kansas City Star reports Shelton E. Lewis of Grandview was arrested earlier this month in Atlanta on federal charges of money laundering and making exortionate communications.
Prosecutors say the scam began in July 2012 when Lewis agreed to sell the businessman $3,000 worth of cocaine. When the deal fell through, prosecutors say Lewis said his drug source had assessed a $10,000 “penalty” against the businessman.
Prosecutors say the businessman kept coughing up money with each new claim Lewis made, but instead of bribing judges Lewis used the money to live an extravagant lifestyle