Tennessee man pleads guilty in $2.5 million Y-12 extortion case

Posted at 4:16 pm July 10, 2014
By John Huotari 2 Comments

The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge is pictured above in June 2012. (Photo courtesy NNSA)

KNOXVILLE—A Tennessee man who appeared on the television reality show “The Millionaire Matchmaker” has pleaded guilty in a $2.5 million extortion case involving the former managing contractor at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

Adam Winters, 26, of Robbins, Tenn., said he had copies of slides that would injure the reputation of the contractor, Babcock and Wilcox Y-12 LLC, and he met with undercover officers on May 23 to exchange the slides for the money he demanded, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said in a Thursday afternoon press release. Law enforcement officers revealed their identity during that May 23 meeting and arrested Winters.

Earlier, on May 8, Winters had e-mailed Babcock and Wilcox and attempted to email Vice President Joe Biden about the slides, Killian said. After he sent the email, Winters used the Internet and telephone to communicate his threat to injure their reputation through the use of the slides, according to the plea agreement on file with the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Winters pleaded guilty Thursday to an information charging him with transmitting communications containing threats to injure the reputation of Babcock and Wilcox Y-12 LLC in interstate and foreign commerce with intent to extort money and other things of value from the corporation.

His sentencing is set for 10 a.m. Nov. 17 in U.S. District Court in Knoxville before U.S. District Court Judge Pamela L. Reeves. Winters faces up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

Prosecutors said the May 8 email refers to slides of evidence from nuclear testing, according to the Associated Press. Winters told the AP earlier that he is the same Adam Winters who appeared on a Feb. 6 episode of “The Millionaire Matchmaker.”

Killian said the charges are the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooklyn Sawyers represents the United States.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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