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Highlands Today

Sebring Woman Charged With Extortion

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By GARY PINNELL

Highlands Today

Published: October 26, 2008

SEBRING - A Sebring woman has been arrested and charged with attempting to extort $30,000 from a 70-year-old man.

An investigation by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office determined Fields had sent a demand letter to the victim, who was not identified by deputies.

Mandy Jane Fields, 44, contacted the victim, whom she knows, and requested he come to her workplace at Lakeshore Mall, said Sgt. Darin Hood.

"Fields handed the victim an envelope with his name on it," said Hood's press release. "The envelope contained a letter demanding payment in the amount of $30,000, in order for Mandy Fields not to release information about the victim. The information ... would have damaged the victim's reputation and exposed the victim to disgrace if it were disclosed."

The investigation resulted in several recorded telephone calls between Fields and the victim, in which Fields said she typed the letter.

"During one of the recorded telephone calls," said Hood, "Fields agreed to receive $6,000 in cash initially from the victim, as a down payment on the $30,000."

A meeting date and time to transfer the money was agreed upon during one of the recorded telephone calls, Fields said. On Thursday a video and audio-recorded meeting was conducted in the west parking lot of the Lakeshore Mall. Fields left her own vehicle and got into the victim's auto, where he gave her $6,000 in cash.

After Fields left his vehicle and returned to her own, she was arrested by the sheriff's Criminal Investigations Unit. The $6,000 in cash was on Fields' front seat.

On Saturday morning, Fields was still being held at the Highlands County jail in lieu of $5,000 bond.

Gary Pinnell can be reached at 863-386-5828.

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