By Stone Martindale Dec 19, 2006, 22:27 GMT
Yoko Ono's extortionist chauffeur was indicted Tuesday on a charge of first-degree attempted grand larceny, and jailed without bail because the judge said he is a potential flight risk.
Patrick Brosnahan, attorney for Koral Karson, speaks to reporters after his client was arraigned in criminal court for trying to extort $2 million from entertainer Yoko Ono in New York, December 14, 2006. REUTERS/Keith Bedford
Koral Karsan, 50, pleaded not guilty before state Supreme Court Justice Michael Ambrecht.
Despite the fact the Turkish native's friends posted $250,000 cash bail earlier, Judge Ambrecht said Karsan has ties abroad and unresolved questions about his immigration status, and refused to let him free.
Forbes.com reports that Assistant District Attorney Anne Schwartz told Ambrecht that Karsan is in the country illegally.
Karsan is a resident of Amityville, N.Y., and was arrested last Wednesday. He was accused of threatening to release embarrassing recordings and photographs of Ono, and possibly cause her grave harm unless she gave him $2 million.
Karsan, Forbes.com reports, had warned Ono that people were "on standby waiting to kill her" if she didn't comply.
"Defense attorney Robert Gottlieb said Karsan entered the United States legally from Turkey in 1992 on a work visa." states Forbes.com.
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