FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2020
UTAH ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE ARRESTS MAN FOR ATTEMPTING TO EXTORT WEALTHY UTAH BUSINESSMAN
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Attorney General’s Office investigators arrested a man on Wednesday for attempting to extort a wealthy Utah businessman. He was charged with Attempted Theft by Extortion, a third-degree felony, in the Third District Court.
30-year-old Jonathan Howard Robb contacted the victim, identified as T.M. in charging documents, in April claiming to be a former friend, and threatened to post unflattering information about T.M. on social media unless he was given $500,000. Robb proceeded to post some of the information on his Instagram page.
T.M. sent private messages to Robb to stop and threatened to contact legal authorities, which Robb refused. The information posted was untrue but T.M. claimed it could damage his reputation and business.
Attorney General investigators arranged a sting operation with the guise that T.M. would pay $50,000 to Robb, which ultimately resulted in Robb’s arrest.
View the probable cause statement here.
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