Yoko Ono's driver Koral Karson, recently charged with trying to blackmail his employer to obtain $2 million, has accepted a plea bargain, and in doing so pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny in the third degree. A Turkish immigrant, Karsan may now face deportation as a result.
Karson was initially charged with first-degree attempted grand larceny for threatening to release embarrassing recordings and personal effects if Ono didn't pay him $2 million. If found guilty of that charge he faced up to fifteen years in prison. Despite initially claiming his innocence, the former chauffeur took the plea deal which meant he was only sentenced to sixty days, which he has already served whilst waiting for the case to come to court.
His lawyer, Robert Gottlieb explained that Karsan took the deal because he was unable to obtain bail and would otherwise have been waiting in prison much longer waiting for the case to reach trial. Gottlieb has continued to defend his client, maintaining that Karsan was an aggrieved employee who suffered sexual harassment, and was seeking compensation, not blackmailing his employer.
Ono's spokesman, Eliot Mintzsaid, said she told him she feels "vindicated because this man has admitted his guilt".