Northern Michigan Resort Owner Faces Extortion Charge

TRAVERSE CITY (WWJ/AP) - Authorities say a northern Michigan resort owner threatened to run a parasailing company out of business if he wasn't paid $19,000 a year.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette says 58-year-old Bryan Punturo of Williamsburg was arraigned Tuesday on an extortion charge in 86th District Court in Traverse City.

"Extortion is illegal, plain and simple," said Schuette, in a media release. "The actions allegedly taken here were a threat to another person's livelihood and are not a good business practice."

Punturo allegedly threatened that he had both the people and the resources to ensure the parasailing company went out of business. The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that documents filed in the case say a man paid Punturo about $35,000 to avoid the threats.

An investigation into the allegations began after a lawyer for the man contacted the state attorney general's office in August.

Bond was set at $100,000 for Punturo at an arraignment in 86th District Court Tuesday. As a condition of this bond, Punturo will not be allowed to leave the state without approval of the court.

Punturo returns to court May 23. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

The Associated Press left a message seeking comment from Punturo at ParkShore Resort. The court says he didn't yet have a lawyer on record.

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