Lethbridge Man Charged with Extortion of Senior Citizen

LETHBRIDGE:  A 22-year-old man is facing an extortion charge involving a threat against a senior citizen.

Around 10:30 on the morning of Tuesday (June 21st), police responded to a report that an unknown person had left a letter at the home of a 69-year-old woman.  The note demanded a significant amount of cash to pay an outstanding debt her deceased husband supposedly owed.

The letter contained a deadline with specific instructions not to involve police and where to leave money. It went on to threaten that if the victim did not comply there would be negative consequences for her and her family.

After conducting a sting operation, in which the suspect attended the victim’s vehicle to retrieve a decoy envelope, the man was arrested.