Arizona Man Arrested In Tom Cruise Extortion Plot
Phoenix Neighbors Not Shocked By Arrest
POSTED: 2:12 pm MST July 26,
2007
UPDATED: 12:29 pm MST September 29,
2007
LOS ANGELES -- An Arizona man known for delivering compromising celebrity photos to a titillated public has been arrested after an alleged shakedown plot against Tom Cruise.The actor's lawyer, Bertram Fields, told The Smoking Gun that 47-year-old David Hans Schmidt demanded more than $1 million to not publish stolen photographs from the actor's 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes in Italy."He was looking for money, lots of money," Fields said.The FBI was contacted. An FBI spokeswoman confirmed Schmidt was arrested by federal agents Tuesday, but said the criminal complaint charging him was under seal by a federal court.The U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles reported that a judge set bond at $100,000 dollars. Schmidt is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, according to TSG, which broke the story.Just last month, Schmidt told a CBS 5 News crews that he was flying to Los Angeles the next day to meet with Tom Cruise's people.CBS 5 News tried Schmidt's cell phone on Thursday but it went straight to a voicemail recording."I don't think it's a surprise at all," one of his Phoenix neighbors told CBS 5 News.Schmidt is also trying to auction off Paris Hilton's diaries, along with photos of her in various stages of undress and other personal effects that had been locked in a Los Angeles-area storage locker until a few months ago.Over the years, Schmidt also has claimed to have brokered deals to sell a sex video of Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on "Saved by the Bell," and a video of skater Tonya Harding's wedding night, according to published reports. He also claimed to have obtained topless shots of rescued U.S. Army POW Pfc. Jessica Lynch.ELSEWHERE ON KPHO.COM: The Topps Meat Co. on Saturday expanded its recall of frozen hamburger patties that may be contaminated with the E. coli bacteria and sickened more than a dozen people in eight states. CLICK HERE for details.
Copyright 2008 by KPHO.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.
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