Karen Sypher has been sentenced to seven years and three months in prison and two years supervised release.
Last year, a jury convicted Sypher of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliating against a witness. She was accused of threatening to go public about a sexual tryst she had with University of Louisville men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino in 2003 unless he met her financial demands.
The convictions carry a maximum sentence of 26 years in prison, but Sypher is expected to receive a lighter punishment under federal sentencing guidelines.
The jury in the federal extorition trial of Karen Sypher has found her guilty of all six charges brought against her. The panel began deliberations in the case late this Wednesday afternoon and deliberated for about five hours over the two days.
Prosecutor Marisa Ford told the jury that Sypher attempted to shake down U of L basketball coach Rick Pitino by threatening to go public with details of their sexual encounter at a Louisville restaurant in 2003. Sypher’s lawyer, James Earhart, said the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, and police failed to fully investigate Sypher’s sexual assualt claims because of Pitino’s stature.
She’s accused of demanding millions of dollars from U of L basketball coach Rick Pitino in exchange for her silence about a sexual encounter they had in a Louisville restaurant in 2003. It’s not clear if Sypher will be called to the witness stand.
University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino took the stand Wednesday in the federal extortion trial of Karen Sypher. He described his encounter with Sypher at a restaurant, and the events that followed.
Testimony continued Tuesday in the federal trial of Karen Sypher, who’s charged with trying to extort University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.
Opening arguments began this morning in the federal trial of Karen Sypher. Sypher has been under indictment since last year, charged with trying to extort millions of dollars from University
of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.
By Rick Howlett Jury selection is scheduled to begin today in the federal trial of Karen Sypher, who’s charged with trying to extort millions of dollars from University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. Sypher is accused of threatening to go public with an allegation of rape against Pitino if he did not give her […]
University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino is criticizing the media for its reporting of the sex scandal involving a woman accused of trying to extort him. Pitino called a press conference after recordings of a police inteview with Karen Sypher were released today in which Syhper accused Pitino of sexually assaulting her six years […]