A man known for brokering deals involving celebrity sex photos and videos has agreed to plead guilty in a plot to extort more than $1 million from Tom Cruise.
That “man” is none other than David Hans Schmidt.
The celebrity porn broker agreed to plead guilty to sending communications for purposes of extortion. He faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
It wasn’t known when Schmidt, 47, who is free on bond, might enter his plea in court. A phone message left for his attorney was not immediately returned.
A plea agreement for David Hans Schmidt’s co-defendant, Marc Lewis Gittleman, who the authorities say helped recover photos from a computer hard drive, has been filed as well. He is also charged with conspiracy to commit extortion.
David Hans Schmidt (pictured) and Gittleman were arrested July 26. Gittleman obtained photos of Tom Cruise’s wedding to Katie Holmes from the event’s photographer.
Gittleman then made copies of the wedding photos on the drive. He contacted Schmidt after finding a site touting his abilities to broker celebrity photos.
No word if Gittleman read that on this very celebrity news site.
Starting in May, Schmidt had repeated contact with reps of Tom Cruise and threatened to release the photos if he didn’t receive $1.2-1.3 million.
David Hans Schmidt began sending e-mails to the actor’s camp, including one with 13 photos of Tom Cruise’s wedding attached as proof that he had them.
The celebrity sex tape king said he had about 7,600 images and he hoped a “commendable and quiet arrangement could be reached” with Tom Cruise.
David Hans Schmidt attended a meeting with the actor’s representatives and an undercover FBI agent July 24 in which he compared his actions to “legal extortion” and said he would “hunt down to hell and back” anyone who dared crossed him.
Guess he was wrong on the whole “legal” bit.
In the past, Schmidt has tried to auction off Paris Hilton’s diaries, along with sexual photos of her and other items that were locked up in a storage locker.
Also in Paris’ stuff was that now infamous pic of Cisco Adler naked.
Schmidt also brokered deals to sell the Dustin Diamond sex tape and a video of Tonya Harding’s wedding night, among other tawdry items.