FAIRFIELD WOMAN ADMITS EXTORTION SCHEME, PLEADS GUILTY

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PAMELA BOCCANFUSO, age 44, of 376 South Benson Road, Fairfield, Connecticut, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to one count of an Indictment charging her with mailing threatening communications. Earlier this year, BOCCANFUSO threatened to murder an individual unless the individual's father paid her more than $197,000.

According to documents filed with court and statements made in court, in mid-February 2006, the victim ("V.P.") received a seven-page typewritten letter threatening to kill J.P., the son of V.P., if he did not deliver $197,347.72 to the author, later identified as BOCCANFUSO. In the letter, BOCCANFUSO accused J.P. of supplying narcotics to BOCCANFUSO's son, nearly resulting in the death of her son, and resulting in significant financial hardship due to medical and rehabilitation costs associated with her son's drug addiction.

Approximately one week later, V.P. received a second letter that directed him to place an advertisement in the Connecticut Post on February 22, 2006 with a contact number. The Federal Bureau of Investigation subsequently placed an advertisement in the Connecticut Post on February 22, 2006, listing a cellular telephone number as directed. A few days later, V.P. received several telephone calls between approximately 3:00 a.m. and 3:45 a.m. over the cellular telephone number provided in the newspaper advertisement. According to V.P., a woman who did not identify herself stated that she was the person who had directed V.P. to place the ad, that she was speaking on the behalf of "her uncle," that V.P. should place the money in a plastic bag and drive to Interstate 95 South, and that he then would receive another telephone call. V.P. informed the caller that he could not raise that amount of money that quickly. Later, at approximately 3:45 a.m., V.P. received another telephone call from the same female caller who stated that she had spoken to "her uncle" and that V.P. had two weeks to raise the money or J.P. would be killed.

The FBI identified the locations of the telephones used to place the callers to the victim. Both telephones were public telephones located in Norwalk and Westport.

V.P. subsequently received a third letter that stated that V.P. must pay $100,000 on March 10, 2006 and then pay the remaining amount over time. The letter stated that J.P. would be killed if V.P. did not pay the $100,000.

On March 10, 2006, an undercover federal law enforcement officer acting as V.P. received a telephone call over the cellular telephone number provided in the newspaper. The caller did not make any statements after the undercover federal law enforcement officer answered the telephone call. The FBI captured the incoming telephone number and identified it as belonging to a public telephone located in Norwalk, approximately 200 feet from the Norwalk public telephone previously used to contact V.P. At approximately the same time, a law enforcement surveillance team was watching the area of the public telephone. They observed a woman, later identified as BOCCANFUSO, using that public telephone in Norwalk. BOCCANFUSO quickly left the area after using the telephone, and drove away in a car. Surveillance officers followed and stopped the car. BOCCANFUSO subsequently agreed to speak to federal law enforcement officers and consented to a search of the car, which resulted in the seizure of gloves, an electronic voice changer, an Orbit's gum box with the cellular telephone number identified in the Connecticut Post. BOCCANFUSO stated that she had telephoned V.P. because she had been instructed to do so by unknown individuals who were threatening to disclose intimate pictures of her if she did not follow their instructions. She admitted placing the telephone calls to the victim, but denied mailing him any letters.

On March 11, 2006, the FBI executed a federal search and seizure warrant at BOCCANFUSO's residence. Among other things, agents recovered a partially used book of Lady Liberty and United States flag, first class, self-adhesive stamps; a partially used roll of clear adhesive tape in a red dispenser; part of the packaging materials for an electronic voice changer; a three-page, typewritten note stating, "from the desk of 'Superman'"; two computers; a handwritten note containing instructions for the making of an extortionate payment located in a plastic bag in the garage; 16 torn pieces of paper located in a plastic bag in the garage, which pieces of paper containing typewritten words consistent with the wording of the third extortion letter sent to the victim; 20 unused manilla colored envelopes consistent in size to those used to mail the extortionate threats; a Connecticut Post dated February 22, 2006; and three pages of handwritten notes containing instructions for the making of payments for extortionate threats.

Judge Arterton has scheduled sentencing for March 20, 2007, at which time BOCCANFUSO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000. BOCCANFUSO also must pay restitution in the amount of $50,400 to a previous victim of an extortion scheme that occurred in 2004.

BOCCANFUSO has been confined to her home with electronic monitoring since her arrest in March 2006.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and its Violent Crime Task Force, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Norwalk Police Department and the Westport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Alex V. Hernandez.

By FBI