AZ man sentenced for extortion re: false sexual allegations against GA Tech coach

Ronald Bell, a 57-year-old resident of Oro Valley, Arizona, has been sentenced to two years and nine months in federal prison for attempting to extort Georgia Tech University. The case revolved around false allegations of sexual assault made against the university’s men’s basketball coach, with Bell attempting to profit from the scheme.

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According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, Bell conspired with his co-defendant, Jennifer Pendley, and a security guard at Georgia Tech to orchestrate the extortion plot. Bell recruited the security guard to falsely claim that he had witnessed the coach committing sexual assault. In exchange for the false accusation, Bell promised the guard a portion of the anticipated extortion payout, estimated to be worth $20 million, and a new Jeep.

The extortion attempt involved communications with representatives of Georgia Tech, where Bell demanded a substantial sum of money to keep the fictitious sexual assault claim from being reported. In one text exchange, Bell warned that the situation would turn “ugly” if the university failed to comply with his demands. He claimed to have attempted to resolve the matter amicably without damaging Georgia Tech’s reputation, but to no avail.

[You never hear much about those cases resolved like this… ~ Beege]

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