McALESTER —
Local authorities recently found a McAlester man who has been accused of conspiracy, extortion and burglary.
Deane Eugene Jones, 19, was charged April 4, 2012, along with co-defendant Michael David Todd, 21, of McAlester. The pair were charged in Pittsburg County District Court with three felony counts:
• Conspiracy to commit extortion and first degree burglary;
• Attempted extortion by threat, and
• First degree burglary.
A warrant for Jones’s arrest was issued in April 2012 and on Feb. 12 he was taken into custody at the Pittsburg County jail by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office.
On June 11, Todd pleaded guilty to the attempted extortion by threat charge. He received a five-year sentence, with all but the first 70 days suspended. He was also fined $550. For Todd, the charges of first degree burglary and conspiracy to commit extortion and first degree burglary were dismissed.
According to court records, Todd, Jones and a 14-year-old juvenile allegedly broke into the Redbud Lane home of Bob Harris on April 3.
The three alleged burglars threatened Harris by telling him that “if he did not give Michael Todd money, he would falsely accuse Bob Harris of a crime,” court records state.
Jones is due back in court Friday (Feb. 22) at 9 a.m. He is being held at the Pittsburg County jail in lieu of a $10,000 bond and was unavailable for comment at presstime.
If convicted, he is facing up to 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charge, up to five years for the extortion charge and up to 20 years for the burglary charge.
Contact Rachel Petersen at rpetersen@mcalesternews.com
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