New details emerge in woman’s multimillion-dollar extortion case

2 years ago 233

A pistillate accused of extorting $12 cardinal from a Las Vegas businessman by threatening to uncover his idiosyncratic secrets received cryptocurrency, luxury vehicles and an involvement successful a $1.8 cardinal spot astatine Mount Charleston, according to constabulary and tribunal records.

Ava Blige, 30, of Las Vegas was charged Sept. 30 with 27 felonies successful the case. Authorities, meanwhile, person gone to large lengths to conceal the businessman’s identity.

The man’s sanction was blacked retired successful a declaration of warrant. Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron precocious sealed an archetypal transgression ailment successful the lawsuit astatine the petition of Clark County prosecutors aft the papers included his name. And attorneys for the Metropolitan Police Department person identified the antheral lone arsenic a “male individual” successful a civilian filing that seeks to confiscate cryptocurrency, vehicles and jewelry paid to Blige.

District Court filings, meanwhile, bespeak that a Las Vegas businessman, Christopher Terry, has sued Blige implicit a concern woody involving a Mount Charleston spot and payments made to support his idiosyncratic accusation confidential.

Blige’s erstwhile civilian attorneys described Terry successful tribunal records arsenic a co-owner of a planetary fiscal services company, International Markets Live, oregon imarketslive. The institution offers products and grooming to traders successful the currency market, futures and fiscal markets.

Three attorneys from the instrumentality steadfast Holland & Hart, which sued Blige connected behalf of Terry, either did not respond to requests for remark oregon declined to remark connected this story.

Attempts to interaction Terry straight for remark were not successful.

Blige has denied immoderate wrongdoing successful her transgression case. She and her attorney, Max Berkley of the Clark County nationalist defender’s office, person declined remark astir the charges against her.

Report of extortion

A Metro constabulary warrant for Blige states that a detective with the Summerlin country bid was contacted successful October 2020 by an lawyer who wanted to study an extortion. The lawyer said the lawsuit was retired of the state successful Dubai astatine the time.

The warrant, released by Las Vegas Justice Court connected Wednesday, identified the unfortunate lone arsenic “Christopher.” His past sanction was blacked retired successful the report. The attorney, whose past sanction besides was blacked out, told constabulary his lawsuit employed Blige astatine his institution successful 2016 and that the 2 “were successful a narration until August of 2019.”

“After separating, Blige became precise upset and began to marque threats towards (the accuser),” constabulary wrote. “(The attorney) explained (his client) wanted the separation to beryllium connected bully terms, truthful (he) provided backing and gifts to Blige.”

Over time, the lawyer said, the payments to Blige were not bully capable for her, and she started threatening to merchandise idiosyncratic accusation astir her person if helium failed to wage her.

“She would exposure his company, and it would ‘be worse than what Steve Wynn went through,’” constabulary wrote, adding that the lawyer said his lawsuit had paid Blige astir $12 million.

Wynn stepped down arsenic CEO and president of Wynn Resorts successful February 2018, aft aggregate allegations of intersexual misconduct and intersexual harassment. He denied immoderate wrongdoing.

Police held a videoconference with the antheral who claimed helium had been extorted by Blige, and helium said helium archetypal hired her arsenic an assistant, but she was fired due to the fact that of laziness. She past was hired arsenic a idiosyncratic adjunct and was paid $4,000 a month. Blige besides was “learning however to negociate the commercialized market,” constabulary wrote.

A romanticist narration betwixt the 2 started successful September 2017, according to the report.

A stormy relationship

The businessman told constabulary helium soon noticed that the mates would combat if helium failed to springiness Blige wealth to acquisition clothes, jewelry and cars.

“She would archer him helium made her that way, truthful she had to unrecorded a definite manner and helium needed to wage for it,” constabulary wrote. “She became highly controlling arsenic the narration continued.”

The antheral said helium chopped disconnected the narration by 2019, though “he did privation to proceed to assistance her with trading and beryllium friends.”

He told constabulary that Blige started threatening to station accusation “she had learned during backstage conversations they had erstwhile they were dating, if helium didn’t springiness her money.”

The accuser told constabulary that Blige claimed to person recordings of him talking astir his concern partners.

“Some of the things helium would accidental would beryllium racially sensitive, kick astir definite people’s character, and comments which would beryllium concerning to 1 of his largest partners,” constabulary wrote.

The businessman told constabulary helium was from New York and astatine 1 constituent worked for a operation institution that was “run by the mob,” according to the report.

“He besides told Blige astir the secrets and layout of his concern practices,” constabulary wrote. “Some of this accusation which was told to Blige successful assurance wasn’t adjacent known by his biggest concern partners.”

Recorded conversations

The businessman went connected to archer constabulary that erstwhile helium would not springiness Blige money, she claimed she had recorded each their conversations, including Apple FaceTime talks betwixt the two.

“If his concern partners oregon radical successful the commercialized assemblage were to perceive oregon spot him talk the mode helium spoke astir them they would leave, and it would yet origin his concern to fail,” constabulary wrote.

Police yet reviewed the contents of the man’s phones and recovered 25,000 substance communications betwixt him and Blige. At 1 point, according to the warrant, Blige told the businessman: “whatever Ava wants Ava gets.”

The antheral told Blige she could person a Mount Charleston residence aft a lease expired connected the property, but Blige inactive posted embarrassing photos of the antheral connected Instagram, according to police, who said she claimed to person 8,000 photos she could administer publicly.

Civil filings against Blige

In March, Terry filed suit against Blige successful District Court implicit a leaseback involvement successful a spot successful the 4900 artifact of Cougar Ridge Trail. The property, according to the suit and a Zillow listing, is astatine Mount Charleston and is worthy astir $1.8 million. A announcement of default against Blige was subsequently filed successful the case, according to tribunal records.

Two months earlier, District Court records amusement that an idiosyncratic initially identified lone arsenic John Doe besides sued Blige. The suit was filed by the aforesaid attorneys who sued Blige connected behalf of Terry. It alleges that Blige and the anonymous CEO of an anonymous institution that specializes successful educating customers astir fiscal instruments and trading markets were successful an intermittent, yearslong relationship.

The unnamed CEO, according to the lawsuit, ended up paying Blige “hundreds of thousands, if not millions, successful cash, cryptocurrency, cars and existent estate” successful speech for not disclosing idiosyncratic accusation Blige had astir the executive. The suit lists cryptocurrency transfers to Blige that were worthy astatine slightest $3.4 cardinal astatine the opening of 2021.

According to the suit, the unnamed CEO bought a batch of costly vehicles and spot “at the demands” of Blige. They included a 2016 Mercedes-Benz G Class worthy $106,000, a 2017 Ferrari 488 worthy $239,207, a 2017 Audi R8 valued astatine $143,143, a 2017 Land Rover worthy $117,000, a Mount Charleston location worthy $1.8 million, and a spot adjacent Valley View Boulevard and Warm Springs Road valued astatine $775,000.

At 1 constituent successful the civilian case, attorneys for the unnamed CEO attempted to person segments of the litigation sealed. Blige’s attorneys, successful related filings, past claimed that the anonymous CEO was Terry and that helium had presented a “manufactured extortion plot” to soundlessness Blige.

Blige’s civilian attorneys besides wrote successful 1 question that the items purchased for her were gifts from the CEO and that the suit was brought for the purposes of harassing Blige. However, a announcement of default against Blige was besides listed successful tribunal records successful the case.

In October of this year, attorneys for Metro filed a civilian forfeiture enactment for $640,000 positive aggregate crypto coins and vehicles. The lone known claimant to the materials constabulary were seeking to prehend is listed successful the filing arsenic “Ava Blige.”

The Metro filing states that the assets were seized and taxable to forfeiture aft a “male individual” engaged successful a idiosyncratic narration with Blige, who past demanded she beryllium paid to support the man’s idiosyncratic accusation private.

“Male idiosyncratic transferred the equivalent of astatine slightest 100 Bitcoins to Blige, oregon different cryptocurrencies,” according to the filing.

Blige has not responded to the Metro forfeiture filing.

A preliminary proceeding successful Blige’s transgression lawsuit is acceptable for Dec. 8.

Contact Glenn Puit astatine gpuit@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0390. Follow @GlennatRJ connected Twitter.

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