Woman Convicted for Involvement in Conspiracy to Commit Extortion and Violations of the Travel Act

Brigith Dayana Gomez, 29, a resident of Los Angeles, California and Venezuela, was convicted for her involvement in a conspiracy to commit extortion and violations of the Travel Act.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Robert F. Lasky, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

The extortion plot sought approximately $100,000 from the victim, and the evidence presented at trial established that Gomez and her co-conspirator, Carolina Del Carmen Roldan, threatened to expose compromising photographs and videos of the victim to Telemundo (the media) unless he paid them.

After a two-week trial, a federal jury found Gomez guilty of all five counts charged in the indictment: one count of conspiracy to transmit extortionate communications in interstate commerce, three counts of transmission of extortionate threats in interstate commerce, and one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering.

According to evidence presented at trial, Gomez, a purported model, and co-conspirator Carolina Roldan threatened their victim with exposure of compromising photographs and videos of him having affairs with multiple women, unless he paid $50-$100,000 in cash.  Over the next fifteen days, the demands for money and threats continued.  The FBI apprehended Gomez at Miami International Airport when she arrived to attempt to collect the money from the victim.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 25, 2018 at 3 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard.  Gomez faces up to five years’ imprisonment for Counts 1 and 5 of the Indictment, and up to two years’ imprisonment for Counts 2 through 4 of the Indictment.

Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of the FBI.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa H. Miller, Frederic Shadley, and Anne McNamara.