Castagna Part of Extortion Ring, Police Says

SPOKANE, WA -- According to police reports by the Spokane police, 26-year-old Cody Castagna, the man who had sex with Washington state Rep. Richard Curtis, may be part of a larger group that targets gay men for extortion.

Richard Curtis, 48, who was in Spokane attending a retreat with other state GOP lawmakers, told detectives from the Spokane Police Department that he had engaged in consensual anal sex with Castagna whom he met in an adult bookstore. Curtis had called the police after Castagna, whose name he never knew, took off with his wallet while Curtis was asleep, reporter Dan Savage writes for Seattle paper The Stranger.

The man later called demanding $1,000 — and threatened to out Curtis as gay if he didn't pay up.

"[Curtis] only wanted his wallet back and wanted to keep the incident as low-key as possible," Detective Tim Madsen wrote in his report. "If the incident became public, it could cost him his marriage and career."

Police said Castagna may be part of a larger group that targets gay men for extortion. In Curtis' case, the group designated a flower pot at a Spokane park as the drop-off point for the money. Detectives believe the group has done this before. "There were multiple threats and payoffs," said Sgt. Joe Peterson. "In this instance it seems like it was not the first time and we've been told by other people it's not the first time the suspects have done this type of thing."

Spokane police are releasing few details and said at least three different people are involved, including Castagna's cousins. They urge any other victims of extortion to contact Spokane police.

Curtis' voting records on gay and lesbian issues are terrible; he voted against adding gays and lesbians to the state's anti-discrimination statutes, he voted against domestic partnerships for gay couples, and he voted against gay marriage.