Blackmail and Extortion

The trial of one of the five accused in the Niles Facebook sex extortion will begins next Tuesday. That information comes from the Berrien County Courthouse in Niles. Martel Miller's attorney wanted the trial date extended to have more time to...

DETROIT (AP) — A Michigan congressman said Monday that allegations of sexual abuse made against him by his 63-year-old second cousin are the result of the man's mental illness and other relatives' attempts to extort money from him. "It's false and...

NILES — Another of the five Niles youths charged in a teen sex video extortion scandal has pleaded guilty. Trey Nichols appeared in Berrien County Trial Court Tuesday morning to plead guilty to two counts in exchange for nine others being dismissed....

++++++++++++++++++++ || ++++++++++++++++++++ || ++++++++++++++++++++ || NILES — If anyone thought Martell Miller would plead guilty after three of his co-defendants took plea deals, they would be mistaken. Miller appeared in Berrien...

NILES — Additional charges were brought forth today against one of the five Niles teenagers accused in a high-profile sexual misconduct case. Two more girls, both 17, testified in Berrien County Trial Court in Niles that 18-year-old Trey Nichols...

ST. JOSEPH — It’ll likely be at least two more weeks before three Niles teenagers learn whether they’ll go to trial in a sex video case involving an underage girl. Preliminary exams for Martise Washington and Parnell Martin, both 18,...

NILES — The defense for one of the five Niles teenagers involved in a high-profile video sex case will be fighting several charges when the case goes to trial. However, extortion will likely not be one of them. Berrien County Trial Court Judge...

MIAMI (AP) — More than 4,000 Colombians are suing banana giant Chiquita Brands International in the U.S., saying the company's payments funded the right-wing paramilitary groups that killed their relatives. They say the payments amounted to illegal...

NEW YORK (AP) — Convicted mob boss John "Sonny" Franzese is so old, his recent extortion trial became nap time — even when his turncoat son took the witness stand against him. The government has asked a judge in Brooklyn federal court to...

NILES — One of five high school students charged in a scheme to extract sexual favors from young women in return for keeping secretly recorded videos off Facebook has entered guilty pleas to two offenses. Under terms of the plea bargain reached...

Niles - Police arrested five Niles teenagers Thursday morning on allegations of sexual assault, extortion and possession of pornographic images of four girls. 18-year-olds Parnell Martin, Leon Murphy, Martise Washington, and Trey Nichols were arrested at...

NILES — We are learning disturbing details about what happened the night a 17-year-old victim said she was forced to perform multiple sex acts in order to stop a sex video from appearing on Facebook. The criminal complaint explains each teen's...