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The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that 35-year-old John Anthony Zayas was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo on Wednesday, April 24.
Zayas previously pleaded guilty to "extortion by interstate communication" as stated in the release. In the fall of 2022, he had threatened to "publicize intimate photos and images of the victim" if they did not pay him $150,000, United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam explained.
The victim was a "public person" who lived in Tennessee at the time of the incident, according to federal court documents obtained by Daily Voice. Additional details about the case were limited.
"Zayas asked Judge Rambo to sentence him to house arrest in lieu of prison, but Judge Rambo rejected that request and ordered that Zayas report to prison in June 2024 to begin serving his sentence," Karam said.
Zayas was also ordered to pay $850 in fines and to serve one year of probation following his release.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby.
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