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