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 4 Sought In Lawmaker Gay Sex Blackmail
by The Associated Press
Posted: December 13, 2007 - 8:00 am ET
(Spokane, Washington) Police issued arrest warrants Wednesday for four men
accused of trying to extort money from a former state legislator who resigned
his post after an affair with one of the accused became public.
Spokane County prosecutors contend in court documents that
Cody Castagna and three others attempted to blackmail former Rep. Richard Curtis
in October. Castagna turned himself in to authorities Wednesday night.
Curtis, a Republican, told a newspaper in his southwest
Washington district shortly after the story broke that sex was not involved in
what he said was an extortion attempt. He also declared he was not gay. (story)
But in police reports, Curtis said he was being extorted
by Castagna, who he had sex with at a hotel room in Spokane, where Curtis was
attending a GOP retreat. Castagna has denied wrongdoing and contended Curtis
reneged on a promise to pay $1,000 for sex.
Castagna is charged with three counts of second-degree
theft of a credit card, one count of second-degree extortion and one count of
conspiracy to commit second-degree extortion.
The other three men - Castagna's brother Joseph L.
Castagna, Robert H. Fletcher and Brandon D. Burchell - have been charged with
second-degree extortion and conspiracy to commit second-degree extortion.
Bond has been set in Spokane County Superior Court at
$7,500 for each of the four.
"I'm not going to run, I have nothing to hide,"
Cody Castagna told KREM-TV as he arrived at the Spokane County Courthouse with
his attorney and a bailbondsman.
His attorney, David Partovi, did not immediately return a
phone message seeking comment left by The Associated Press.
Partovi told The Spokesman-Review newspaper he would fight
the charges against his client, and that the money his client sought from Curtis
was not "extortion money. It was prostitution money."
Attempts to contact the others implicated in the case were
not immediately successful. There were no listed telephone numbers for Joseph
Castagna, Fletcher or Burchell.
According to court documents, Curtis met Cody Castagna in
an adult book store and then at a hotel. Castagna told police he agreed to have
unprotected sex for $1,000, but Curtis then refused to pay.
Later that evening, Curtis woke up and found that Castagna
had left the room. His billfold, credit cards and Washington State Legislature
identification were missing, prosecutors allege. Castagna later called Curtis,
demanded $1,000 and threatened to expose him if he did not pay. Curtis left
money at the hotel's front desk for Castagna, and Fletcher picked up the money,
prosecutors allege.
Castagna demanded additional money from Curtis, and Joseph
Castagna and Burchell helped Cody plan the pickup of the additional money, court
documents state. Curtis called police to complain he was being blackmailed.
Curtis denied offering to pay Castagna for sex, but
acknowledged giving him $100 for "gas money," police reports said.
Authorities sent out a news release Monday asking for
potential past victims of Castagna to come forward.
"There were multiple threats and multiple payoffs in
this instance and it just seems like this was not the first time," police
Sgt. Joe Peterson said. "And we've been told by other people that this is
not the first time the suspects in this case have done this type of thing."
Curtis, a married father who voted against gay-rights
bills in the Legislature, resigned his office a few days after the incident
became public. He is cooperating with investigators and will not be charged,
deputy prosecuting attorney Larry Steinmetz said.
©365Gay.com 2007
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