It is extremely rare that private persons are indicted for extortion... Best guess 1 indictment per 10,000 ? Just a guess but extremely rare. Much more commonly people who stand in "fiduciary" capacities and government officials are the ones charged (even more rarely tried and convicted).
See
Common defenses available for an allegation of extortion are:
insufficient evidence;
absence of intent to commit a crime;
proving factual innocence;
Proving incapacity, insanity or intoxication;
Proving accuser’s ownership over the property;
Proving the absence of threat, force, or fear for inducing consent.
Generally, threatening harm means a wrongful use of violence or fear. In an extortion, the victim must reasonably believe that the threat is real. When an accused succeeds in showing lack of threatening harm and the reasonable belief of truth, a charge for extortion can be dismissed for lack of evidence. Extortion is an intended crime and requires the proof of intention. Failure on the part of prosecution to prove intention turns to be a valid defense to a charge for extortion. Insanity at the time of offense or during the trial is a valid defense in a charge for extortion. As an intended crime, extortion requires capacity of the accused to commit an offense. When an offender proves his/her incapacity, s/he can succeed in a trial for extortion. Additionally, voluntary intoxication is not an excuse or a justification of a crime. However, in specific intent crimes, voluntary intoxication can be raised as a defense[i].
Defenses to extortion include challenges to the manner in which the authorities collected evidence. An accused can plead illegal search, illegal seizure, illegal interrogation, and coercion.
The common-law definition of the crime of extortion limits the crime of extortion to acts committed by a public officer.
- See more at:
http://extortion.uslegal.com/defense....hWWDk9Ly.dpuf
19Trees
PS: Could not disagree more with advice to "tell the police" ... very bad idea.
How to deal with extortion
