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NJ Man Blackmailed After Sending Naked Photo Over Craigslist
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 18, 2014
Modified Mar 18, 2014
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By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 18, 2014
Modified Mar 18, 2014
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A New Jersey man paid almost $2,000 in blackmail money to an extortionist whom he had the bad luck to cross paths with over Craigslist. Philadelphia's Steven J. Beisher, 42, pleaded guilty to second-degree theft by extortion yesterday and could face up to five years in prison for blackmailing an unidentified man who responded to his ad soliciting homosexual sex. According to Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman:
The victim responded to the ad in August 2012 and sent Beisher a naked photo of himself. Beisher found the victim’s telephone number and address and called him the following day, threatening to expose the victim to his wife and family if he did not pay Beisher money.
Beisher called repeatedly to demand that the victim meet him at various locations in Philadelphia to make payments. The victim met Beisher seven times over the course of nine days, making payments ranging from $200 to $400. The victim paid Beisher a total of $1,950 before refusing to meet him again and reporting him to the State Police.
According to officials, Beisher has eight prior felony convictions in Pennsylvania, including five burglary convictions and two convictions for receiving stolen property. Most recently, he was convicted of theft by extortion in Pennsylvania in October 2012. He'll be sentenced in July.
Tagged
blackmail
craigslist
new jersey
philadelphia
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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