SPOKANE, WA  --  Police issued arrest warrants Wednesday for four people accused of trying to extort money from former Republican state representative Richard Curtis, who resigned his post when his gay affair with one of the accused became public.

Spokane County prosecutors claim Cody Castagna and three others attempted to blackmail Curtis in October after the state legislator met Castagna, a waiter from Spokane, at an adult video store. The two men then traveled to the Davenport Towers Hotel in Spokane where they had sex. Police early suspected Castagna of being part of a larger group that targets gay men for extortion. Castagna turned himself in to authorities Wednesday night.

Curtis told a newspaper shortly after the story broke that he did not have sex with Castagna and that he was not gay but merely a victim of an extortion attempt by a male prostitute who was seeking to take advantage of his kindness and generosity. "I committed no crime," Curtis said. "I did not solicit sex. I was trying to help somebody out. I am not gay. I have not had sex with a guy. It's been a rough week. Look, the rest of this will all come out. I can't say anything more until I have talked to my attorney. I have never been in this situation before."

Castagna has denied wrongdoing and contended Curtis reneged on a promise to pay $1,000 for sex.

Castagna is charged with three counts of second-degree theft of a credit card, one count of second-degree extortion and one count of conspiracy to commit second-degree extortion.

The other three men — Castagna's brother Joseph L. Castagna, Robert H. Fletcher and Brandon D. Burchell — have been charged with second-degree extortion and conspiracy to commit second-degree extortion.

Bond has been set in Spokane County Superior Court at $7,500 for each of the four.

"I'm not going to run, I have nothing to hide," Cody Castagna told KREM-TV as he arrived at the Spokane County Courthouse with his attorney and a bailbondsman.

His attorney, David Partovi, did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment left by The Associated Press.

Partovi told The Spokesman-Review newspaper he would fight the charges against his client, and that the money his client sought from Curtis was not "extortion money. It was prostitution money."

Last update: 12-13-2007 23:39

Posted by Scott, on 12-16-2007 14:50, 1. Not gay , Hmmmm , Yea he isnt gay . Thats why he went to a Hotel to have sex wioth another man. Why a guy just can NOT accept who he is.   » Report this comment to administrator Posted by davis, on 12-16-2007 15:00, 2. been around he is not gay, plenty of straight men have sex for mony, get out and experience life stop being ignorant, never heard of "gay for pay" ?   » Report this comment to administrator Posted by eric, on 12-19-2007 00:01, 3. been around? were your eyes open? Comment #2: Comment #1 is referring to the state rep Richard Curtis (the man that paid for sex), not the prostitute! As YOU would say, stop being ignorant...   » Report this comment to administrator