New York – Yoko Ono’s chauffeur was arraigned Thursday after allegedly threatening to release embarrassing recordings and photographs of her and allegedly warning that he would have her killed unless she paid him $2 million.
The defendant, Koral Karsan, told Ono that “he had people on standby waiting to kill the victim on his orders,” Assistant District Attorney Maureen O’Connor said at Karsan’s arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Police arrested the Turkish- born Karsan, 50, who lives in Amityville, N.Y., on Wednesday and charged him with first-degree attempted grand larceny for allegedly trying to shake down Ono, the 73-year-old widow of John Lennon.
At Karsan’s arraignment, Judge Tanya Kennedy ordered him jailed and set bail at $500,000 bond or $250,000 cash.
O’Connor had asked Kennedy to set a high bail because she said Karsan was an “extraordinary flight risk.” She said he has been in the country about 10 years and has family, property and contacts in Turkey, and “there is no doubt he would flee” if released on bail.
Karsan’s lawyer, Patrick Kevin Brosnahan, said his client is not guilty and “will vigorously dispute these charges.” “There are other issues between my client and the complainant,” Brosnahan said.
