L.A. Investigator Sought Extortion Charges Against Mel Gibson’s Ex-Girlfriend

Michael Kovac/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) -- The District Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles decided not to file extortion charges against Mel Gibson's ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, despite objections from a police detective who felt her attorneys’ demands for 20 million dollars in exchange for not revealing damaging photos and audio tapes warranted prosecution, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The newspaper says L.A. Sheriff’s Detective Rodney Wagner sent a letter to the prosecutor who declined to press charges against Grigorieva, saying an investigation turned up evidence of “implied threats" against Gibson by his ex and her lawyers.  Wagner said he found support for three separate extortion charges in Grigorieva’s emails to the actor and in a March 2010 meeting with her attorneys.  The report says the actor had agreed to a $15 million settlement with his ex, but she backed out and the now-infamous audio tapes of Gibson’s rants and photos of her with injuries allegedly caused by him quickly surfaced.

Grigorieva’s lead attorney, Eric George, is the son of California’s former chief justice and a campaign fundraiser for L.A. District Attorney Steve Cooley, but a spokesperson for the DA’s office said Cooley had no role in his office’s determination not to bring charges against Grigorieva and her lawyers.

In a plea deal, Gibson last week pleaded no contest to misdemeanor spousal battery in connection with an alleged attack on Grigorieva last year. The actor was placed on three years’ probation, ordered to undergo one year of domestic violence counseling and perform 16 hours of community service.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio 

Mel Gibson Extortion Case Turned Over to Prosecutors

Photo Courtesy - Michael Kovac/ FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) -- Los Angeles prosecutors have their hands full with a pair of cases involving Mel Gibson.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department detectives turned over to prosecutors their findings in its investigation into whether Gibson's ex-girlfriend tried to extort him, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Gibson has claimed that Oksana Grigorieva, the mother of their one-year-old daughter Lucia, attempted to extort him.   

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has been considering whether to pursue domestic violence charges against Gibson in connection with an alleged fight the Oscar-winner had with Grigorieva at his Malibu, California home last year.  Gibson and Grigorieva have been embroiled in a bitter custody dispute over their child since.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio