Akron Man Gets 115 Months for Extortion Plot

Franklin D. Conley, 28, of Akron, Ohio, is headed to federal prison for 115 months after being convicted in a brutal extortion scheme that terrorized a man and his family for months. The sentence, handed down this week, follows a conviction on multiple charges tied to threats of death, drug trafficking, and interstate coercion.

Conley was found guilty of one count of violating the Hobbs Act, three counts of using a communication facility to facilitate a drug offense, and one count of interstate communication with intent to extort. Federal prosecutors detailed a campaign of fear beginning in February 2015, when Conley and co-conspirator Patrick Griffin, 29, also of Akron, began threatening the victim with serious physical harm or death unless they received cash or a connection to a drug source.

According to trial testimony and court documents, the threats were relentless—delivered through phone calls, messages, and in-person confrontations. The victim, whose identity remains protected, testified that Conley and Griffin made it clear: pay up or be killed. The harassment extended to the victim’s family, amplifying the psychological toll of the year-long ordeal.

Griffin has since pleaded guilty to his role in the plot, and prosecutors say his cooperation may factor into his eventual sentencing. But Conley, described by investigators as the driving force behind the extortion, showed no remorse, law enforcement sources say. His actions, they argue, weren’t just about money—they were about control, fear, and exploiting desperation in Akron’s underground drug network.

The FBI’s Cleveland office, led by Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony, spearheaded the investigation that dismantled the scheme. U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon emphasized that violent coercion—especially when tied to narcotics—will be met with maximum penalties under federal law. “This wasn’t just extortion,” Rendon said. “It was a sustained campaign of terror.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Teresa Riley and Robert Bulford prosecuted the case, securing a sentence that reflects the severity of the crimes. Conley will serve nearly a decade behind bars, a consequence, authorities say, of choosing violence and intimidation over lawful paths. The FBI urges others involved in similar schemes to reconsider—federal time, they warn, is no joke.