CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

CdM Man Charged With Extortion

A Corona del Mar personal trainer and his attorney have been charged with conspiring to extort $350,000 from a woman by threatening to spread lies about her in local newspapers, according to a news release issued Monday afternoon by the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

Michael Earl Roberts, 44, had worked as the victim’s and her husband’s personal trainer for ten years until he was terminated in 2005, the statement said. Then between April 2006 and May 2008, Roberts began making dozens of calls to the victim and her friends, leaving increasingly threatening messages, prosecutors allege. He is accused of telling the victim, “You better hang onto something, because it’s going to get bumpy,” and that he was going to “destroy” her, the statement said.

In May 2008, James Toledano, 65, of Costa Mesa, acting as Roberts’ attorney, is accused of meeting the victim’s attorney and asking for $350,000 in exchange for keeping quiet. Roberts, prosecutors said, threatened to humiliate the victim by having false, damaging stories printed in Orange Coast Magazine, the Orange County Register, the Los Angeles Times and on ABC.

Roberts has been charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime, one felony count of attempted extortion by threat, two misdemeanor counts of harassing phone calls, and two misdemeanor counts of annoying phone calls. Toledano was charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime and one felony count of attempted extortion by threat. If convicted, both defendants face a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in state prison. Both men are out of custody on $100,000 bail each. They are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in Santa Ana.