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Man Arrested on Extortion Charge

FBI Atlanta

July 05, 2013

Special Agent Stephen Emmett

(404) 679-6451

 ATLANTA—Special Age nt in Charge (SAC) Mark F. Gi uliano, FBI Atlanta, in conjunction with FBI

 Albany SAC Andrew Vale, announces the following arrest today at New field, New York, in connection

 with an extortion schem e targeti ng Paula Deen, a pub lic figure and Sa vannah, Georgia-based business

owner.

Thomas George Paculis, age 62, currently a resident of Newfield, New York, and formerly a resident of 

the Savannah and Augusta, Georgia areas, was arrested without incident this morning by Ithaca, New 

 York-based FBI age nts, along with de puties from the Tompkins County Sh eriff’ Office in Ne wfield, New 

 York, based on a federal cri minal complaint filed by FB I Atlanta’s S avannah Reside nt Agency charging

him with violation of Title 18 USC Section 875 (d), extortion.

 According to the fe deral crim inal complaint, fi led i n the Southern Di strict of Ge orgia, on June 24, 2 013,

the FBI Atlanta’s Savannah Resident Agency was notified through the attorney representing Savannah

 business owner and pub lic figure Paula Deen of the receipt by the ir office of an e-mail and follow up

telephone call showing that Thomas Paculis was attempting to extort De en by requesting $250,000 in

compensation in return for not disclosing “true and damning” statements made by Deen to the media.

Paculis indicated that his information would bring hardship and financial ruin to Deen.

Subsequent to his arrest, Paculis was transported to the Onondaga County Jail, New York, and detained

pending his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later in t he day . Paculis is currently 

scheduled to appear in front of a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Savannah, Georgia, on July 16, 2013, at 9:00

a.m.

The public should be reminded that the above are merely allegations and that all persons are presumed

innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

 

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Home • Alban y • Press Releases • 2013 • Man Arrested on Extortion Charge

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