David Letterman's nemesis has pleaded guilty, with his New York criminal defense attorney by his side at a Manhattan court on Tuesday.
And no, we're not talking about Jay Leno.
The man, Robert "Joe" Halderman, was a producer at CBS who allegedly blackmailed and attempted to extort $2 million dollars from David Letterman by threatening to reveal Letterman's marital indiscretions.
Halderman, who initially pleaded not guilty to charges of grand larceny, admitted to the court that he attempted to extort $2 million from Letterman back in September of 2009. Outside of the courtroom, Halderman made a public apology to Letterman, Letterman's family, and to the woman at the center of the scandal.
Last year, the Manhattan District Attorney's office indicted Halderman on charges of grand larceny and extortion. Under New York Law, larceny, which is essentially theft, becomes "grand larceny" when the amount in question exceeds $1,000.
The scandal came to light after Letterman admitted during an airing of his show that he had sexual relations with a female member of his staff. As Letterman claimed, he decided to go public about the incident after finding a package in the backseat of his car, demanding money to keep the details of the affair a secret.
Under Halderman's current plea deal, reached between the court and Halderman's New York criminal defense attorney, he will not serve the 15-year prison sentence for grand larceny. Instead, Halderman will serve six months in prison, agree to a four and a half year probation and will have to perform 1,000 hours of community service.
Related Resources
- David Letterman Blackmailer Robert Halderman to Plead Guilty (ABC News)
- Theft/Larceny (FindLaw)
- Letterman Extortion: Producer Busted; What is Extortion? (FindLaw Blotter)
- New York Criminal Defense Attorney Directory (FindLaw)
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