Couple attempted to extort Bernard Berrian over BlackBerry

Bernard Berrian was the victim of an alleged extortion attempt after a California couple found his BlackBerry in Las Vegas in October.

Details of the case were made public in federal court late Thursday after the civil lawsuit against the couple was unsealed.

Berrian claims he lost his BlackBerry in October at an ATM machine and a couple months later he began receiving e-mails and telephone calls asking him if he had lost the device, according to the report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Ronald Jones and Clarice Lankford allegedly wanted $30,000 for the return of the device. They said if he did not pay for the BlackBerry it would be sold to the highest bidder.

Berrian, in the suit, claimed he had sensitive information on the device, including account information and his Social Security number. He received the BlackBerry back on Jan. 19.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

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