John Stamos Accused of Cocaine Use; Jury Deliberates in Extortion Trial
MARQUETTE, Mich. (CBS/AP) Jurors are deliberating in the trial of two people accused of trying to extort $680,000 from actor John Stamos by claiming they had photos of him with cocaine and strippers.
Attorneys for defendants Allison Coss and Scott Sippola, the alleged extortionists, attempted to smear the "Full House" actor, as well as the FBI in order to exonerate their clients.
But when the prosecution questioned Coss, she failed to produce a vital piece of evidence: a photo of Stamos doing cocaine while surrounded by strippers.
The small-town Michigan couple is charged with conspiracy and two counts of extortion after claiming they possessed compromising photos of the "ER" heartthrob, which they allegedly said were going to a magazine if he refused to pay up.
Prosecution got Coss on the stand Wednesday where she admitted she lied to Stamos regarding the various tabloid offers; however, she maintained that she did have a photo of him using drugs, but was unable to product the scandalous photo in court.
Coss claims she last saw the photo a week before her and Sippola's December arrest.
As Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Lochner continued the cross-examination, the 24-year-old became very emotional.
When Lochner challenged one of her previous statements where she claimed she preferred to sell the images to Stamos rather than tabloids, because she considered him a friend, she broke down.
"You wanted not to hurt him, yet you were willing to take $680,000 of his money?" Lochner asked. "What kind of a friend does something like that?"
Coss took a moment, composed herself, and replied, "Not a very good one."
Stamos insisted that he knew all along no photos existed of him doing illegal drugs and Coss did not have the evidence to prove otherwise.
The jury heard closing arguments earlier Thursday in federal court in Marquette.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maarten Vermaat called it a "get-rich-quick scheme" by Allison Coss and Scott Sippola. He doubts Shakespeare could have come up with such a plot.
Coss and Sippola are charged with conspiracy and other crimes. They insist they had unflattering photos of Stamos from a trip to Florida in 2004. The FBI says no embarrassing pictures exist.
Defense lawyer Sarah Henderson said the pair was "in over their heads" but committed no crime. Stamos listened from the front row.
If convicted, Coss and Sippola could get up to five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and an additional two years on each extortion count.