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Autumn Jackson begins 5-year jail sentence for Cosby extortion plot

Jackson
Jackson   
April 23, 1998
Web posted at: 4:07 a.m. EDT (0807 GMT)

DUBLIN, California (CNN) - Autumn Jackson, convicted for trying to extort $40 million from performer Bill Cosby by claiming to be his illegitimate daughter, began her five year sentence in a Dublin minimum security federal prison Wednesday.

Jackson, who is six months pregnant with twins, was convicted in July of threatening to ruin Cosby's reputation by offering to sell her story to a supermarket tabloid if he did not give her money.

A New York federal judge sentenced her in December to 26 months in prison, and Jackson asked to serve her time in California to be closer to her family.

Her initial period of incarceration will be spent as part of the Bureau of Prisons' maternity program, which allows defendants to remain with their newborns for several months. After she completes the program, it will be determined if can enter a federal boot camp for six months or if she will have to complete her entire sentence.

Jackson's husband, Antonay Williams, also had a role in the extortion scheme but cooperated with police. He was sentenced to five years probation. Another man, Jose Medina, was also sentenced to 26 months in jail.

The judge in the case ruled that Cosby's alleged paternity was irrelevant and that the real issue was whether the defendants committed extortion. Cosby testified he had sex once with Jackson's mother but denied being her father.

Reuters contributed to this report.

 
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