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Ex-Media Producer Sentenced to 4 Years for Extortion and Obstruction of Justice
A former media producer has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to obtain money in exchange for preventing the release of damaging information about government officials in Puerto Rico.
Sixto Jorge Díaz Colón, 54, of San Juan, attempted to extort a public official in June 2019. He demanded a payment of $300,000 and other things of value in exchange for assurance that a third-party would not publicly disclose certain messages containing damaging information about various public officials in the government.
When approached by the FBI in July 2019, Díaz Colón deleted messages containing information about his involvement in the scheme before surrendering his cellular telephone to the authorities.
The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case. Trial Attorneys Michael N. Lang and former PIN Trial Attorney James Pearce, former Trial Attorney Byron Jones, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myriam Fernández-González and Timothy Henwood provided assistance.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. announced the sentencing, along with U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office.
The case is a reminder of the importance of protecting public officials from extortion and obstruction of justice. As the investigation shows, those who engage in such activities will be held accountable for their actions.
The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico will continue to work together to investigate and prosecute cases involving public corruption and extortion.
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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