Source: KXLY-TV, Spokesman Review
SPOKANE -- All charges have been dropped against Cody Castagna, the man accused of attempted extortion against a disgraced former state lawmaker.
"I'm stoked," Castagna said Monday, according to Spokesman Review. "But, you know, I would have hoped this would have happened a long time ago because they had nothing against me."
Cody Castagna
photo: Fleshbot (which has many more -- and much more flesh -- for a fee after a preview)Castagna, a 27-year old waiter and part-time porn model, was charged with six felony counts of extortion and theft after an evening with Richard Curtis, a 48-year old Republican legislator from LaCenter, near Vancouver, Wash. Curtis, who opposed gay rights measures as a lawmaker, resigned from the Legislature shortly after the incident last October became public.
Rachel Sterett with the Spokane County Prosecutor's Office confirmed Monday afternoon that her office would be dropping extortion, theft and conspiracy to commit extortion charges against Castagna in the case involving Richard Curtis, who he met while Curtis was in town for a GOP legislative retreat in Spokane last October.
Judge Tari Eitzen signed the order dropping the charges against Castagna Monday, KXLY reports. Sterett said the decision to drop the charges was made based upon a one-page written statement written by Richard Curtis where he asked prosecutors not to have to testify in the case.
"After speaking with the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and discussing my further participation of the prosecution of the defendants, I am requesting that I not be requested to testify," Curtis wrote in a letter dated June 16th .
“My wife, daughters, and son-in-law have paid a very high price for my actions... My family and I have found ourselves closer as a result and are settled into a new chapter in our lives and are moving past this incident,” Curtis said in his letter the Spokesman reports.
Curtis’ whereabouts is "unknown to the prosecution," said Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Rachel Sterett.
Castagna’s lawyer, David Partovi of Coeur d’Alene, said regardless of what prompted the dismissal order, prosecutors made the right call, Spokesman Review reports.
“I’m happy for Cody, but I really wanted to try this case,” Partovi said. “Everything about it was wrong from the beginning.”
Curtis likely would have made a terrible prosecution witness, Partovi said.
His assertions alone were the prosecution's only suggestion that Castagna was engaged in an extortion scheme, Partovi said, adding: "I think he was full of it since the beginning."
In January, Castagna pleaded innocent to the charges and said he "couldn't believe" he was facing six felony counts while Curtis faced no charges.
After meeting Castagna at a Spokane Valley porn shop, Curtis took him to a downtown Spokane hotel where the two had sex.
Curtis claimed that Castagna stole his wallet after the lawmaker fell asleep and later demanded hush money.
Spokane police later circulated unsubstantiated claims that Castagna was part of an "extortion ring" that they claimed had also targeted other men. Castagna claimed at the time of his arrest that his night with Curtis was the only time he'd ever asked for money in exchange for sex.
In its report, the Spokesman Review points out that Partovi never disputed that money was exchanged between Castagna and Curtis. But he said the money was a payment for prostitution, not extortion.
Police detectives were alerted to the incident after Curtis called a member of the Washington State Patrol in Olympia in an effort to keep it out of the press, Spokesman Review reports.
"Curtis said he wanted the Washington State Patrol to investigate the incident because the local (Spokane) police would talk and it would get out to the press," the police reports say.
The WSP notified its branch office in Spokane, which in turn notified Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.
Full article: Charges dropped against Cody Castagna | KXLY-TV
Charges dropped in career-toppling sex scandal | Spokesman Review