Paramedic Charged In $25 Million Travolta Extortion Plot

NASSAU, Bahamas — A Bahamas paramedic was charged Monday in an alleged scheme to extort $25 million from John Travolta after his chronically ill son died of a seizure at the family's vacation home.

Tarino Lightbourne, 47, pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to extort and conspiracy to extort from the movie star.

Details of the alleged plot remain fuzzy, but prosecutor Bernard Turner said investigators are looking for a "certain document" and police say it involved $25 million. Magistrate Carolita Bethel remanded the suspect to jail after Turner objected to bail.

Senior Assistant Police Commissioner Marvin Dames said the actor's lawyers filed a complaint of attempted extortion after Pleasant Bridgewater, an attorney and then-senator, allegedly informed them that Lightbourne claimed he "was in possession of a document that, if released, would prove damaging to the Travoltas."

Lightbourne was detained after police issued an alert that he was wanted for attempted extortion and was considered dangerous.

Earlier, several tabloids had quoted Lightbourne describing efforts to revive 16-year-old Jett Travolta after he collapsed Jan. 2 on Grand Bahama.

Bridgewater was arrested on Thursday and charged with abetment to extort and conspiracy to extort, and was released on $40,000 bail.

She has vowed to prove her innocence but resigned Saturday from her seat in the legislature.

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Another parliamentarian, Obie Wilchcombe, was detained Friday, questioned and released pending further investigation. He has not been charged.

"We don't have anything at this stage of our investigation to implicate him," Dames said Monday.

Wilchcombe has described himself as a friend of Travolta who was with the actor shortly after his son died. He said Bridgewater told him "someone was doing something untoward" after the boy's death _ a message he said he relayed to the actor's lawyers.

"She (Bridgewater) knew I was close to the Travoltas. She wanted to bring something to my attention," Wilchcombe told Us magazine in an interview published Saturday.

He called it "absurd" to suggest he'd sought money from the movie star, saying one "single individual" had tried to take advantage of the family.

The actor and his wife, Kelly Preston, returned home to Florida with the ashes of their son shortly after his death.

___

Associated Press writer Juan McCartney in Nassau, Bahamas, contributed to this report.

Comments

[Hydra8]

This Senator I think her name is Bridgewater stated "she was representing her client" the ambulance driver. How does a Senator that supposedly works for the government, is paid a salary by the government as a senator, who then accepts clients as a lawyer?

Then she actively handles this ambulance driver's case, for which she proceeds to attempt an extraction from Mr. Travolta's bank account along with her side kick?

An ethical lawyer would have brought this extortion plot to the authorities of her own government. Instead she presents it to Travolta's lawyers along with a request of 25 million dollars, and this Whitecombe guy was present at that time wasn't he?

The ambulance driver wanted his 25 million dollars, and the Senator/Lawyer - would get a share for her lawyers fees! Nice.

I hope Mr. Travolta has the best lawyers money can buy, but in a country that allows lawyers to act as senators while still holding court as lawyers -- is there any possibility of justice in this case?

I hope the media goes over this trial with a fine tooth comb and Mr. Travolta has justice served on these excuses for human beings.

[EggZacktly]

It all seems very convenient that Jett was cremated before an autopsy was performed, that an ever changing story with no corroboration is surfacing to cover the reason for the quick disposal of Jett's body is cropping up. First they said it was photo's now they say it is a document, will it be a film or statue next? The Travolt's ignored their son's autism even though John's brother begged them to get Jett the proper medical attention. Scientology seems to have a nasty hand in all of this chicanery.

[rightrant]

A paramedic?!
That IS bad.

[brookier1]

These good people should be left alone, by the public. There is so much pain in losing a beloved child.The evil ones who attempted this should get the full brunt of the law. My heart goes out to the Travolta family for their loss.

[jcollell]

This is so sad.

http://www.youspar.com/

[Trinity718]

Ohhh Obie......­this is what happens when u try to kiss a**. now u r not a friend of the travoltas, u r being investigated. good luck!

[kennybean]

Don't EMT's take the hippocractic oath? If you're snapping photos when you should be doing your job, ie. saving lives, isn't that reason enough for prosecution?

[robin50]

No EMT's do not take the hippocratic oath. Only doctors. Emt's do not, nurses do not, nursing aids do not. These same people are also not held to the same standards of doctor patient confidentiality. Yes, your doctor might guard your medical history. But if he has a staff that likes to blab, there is no confidentiality there. Other than hopefully a doctor and boss that will fire them on the spot. Living in a small town, one realises the need for that at times. Ones medical history and test results should not be broadcasted to the community at large as soon as they hit the office. There was an incident here of an office worker blabbing before the patient himself knew the results.

[NoElephants]

Sorry, just because you live in a small town with some gossip girls doesn't mean that HIPAA doesn't exist. Don't lecture people on what does and doesn't exist as law unless you do your homework.

[Ratprick]

Sharing confidential medical information with any person not authorized to receive that information is a cause for firing for any nurse, nurses aid, or any person who lawfully accesses medical records.

If your friends or associates "blab" they will be caught. And they will be fired. HIPAA. It's enforced.

[HotheadPaisen]

Hello... it's called HIPPA!

[kellygrrrl]

I definitely would not want the WrathOfXenu coming down on my life

[mark vf]

*waits until evidence of extortion are produced and mentally notes the litigious nature of a certain organization*

[kellygrrrl]

right there with ya' Mark

[ColoradoDan]

Actually, the best post here.

[Perrier007]

yeah, there seem to be some scientologist apologists here...

[mark vf]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Game_(Scientology)

[harriettubman]

This is the lowest of the low. One can't prevent death but try not to even get sick in the Bahamas. TMZ is reporting that a document exists that is connected to Jett's death.

There was nothing but trouble after Anna Nicole's death in the Bahamas too. Why do celebrities even want to live there?

[Lana Robert]

..for the love of money. some people.

i am completely saddened by Jett's short life. He was so beautiful, just like his Dad. We don't always understand life's twist and turns...we just keep moving forward.

If that sick person is guilty of this crime may he get the maximun sentence. sick ba$$ard.

[ColoradoDan]

And IF the driver is innocent and only being 'handled' to shut him up .... for something he saw or reported or that bothered him? What then? If he is saying what he feels is true rather than what lawyers want him to say and being jailed for that 'crime ... is that not wrong?

Notice the hate being generated for this fellow and yet NO ONE will release this tape where he is demanding $20 or $25 million. Its almost as if some lawyers are going on this character attack when they could simply play the tape they claim to posess.

IF this guy is guilty, then yes ... prosecute. But if a false claim to shut him up or to scare him, what then? Lets HEAR the tape.

[Changeling]

You, as a member of the general public are NOT entitled to hear the tape. I know that so many Americans think they deserve to know every salacious detail simply by virtue of being American.

You'll hear news of the tape at the trial. Or before. Or not. Either way, you're owed nothing of the kind. You and the rest of the n asty, whispering, big oted armchair jurists that populate these particular threads can just deal with it

[harriettubman]

I'm not sure but it may be a case like the Rob Lowe case. Preemptive lawsuit. All I know for now is that its being reported as extortion.

[sisterdebmac]

Yeah, this tape is probably about as real as the Michelle Obama "whitey tape".

[mageduley]

Acorrding to that UK article, Jett was having seizures frequently. So why would any parent leave the kid alone all evening and not find him until 10 am?

I think the paramedic does not have pictures to sell, but a story to tell.

[ColoradoDan]

Seems to be the case as one reads more and more on the Net. 12 hours alone? Why???

First there was a tape recording requesting $20 million now it's a document and he wanted $25 million? All this seems to be for silencing a few who will not bend to the new story. So far, NO tape recording at all. A few folks sawysomething and now all hell is on them to shut up.

Will they try to silence Joey Travolta as well? Why would John and Kelly not view his movie?

It's not adding up at all.

[mathme]

He was 16, not 6.

[Bunson Honeydew]

Could this whole extortion controversy be a potential smoke-screen to move people away from the notion that the Travoltas were partially complicit in their own son's death? According to the below article, the Travoltas, through the teachings of Scientology, denied their son needed medical attention which may have led to his death.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5454720.ece

Let's not shy away from the real controversy here.

[Changeling]

That's not what the article says. At all.

Further, Travolta's son WAS on anti-seizure meds that had reduced, but not eliminated his seizures, but was stopped because it was damaging to his liver.

[Adrienne Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

Exactly and even people who are on meds can still get seizures. I wish people would stop thinking about the Travolta's as bad parents because they don't like there religion beliefs -- which is the real reason for all the hate to the family. Everyone is not catholic or a believer of some big main religion. Even the best of parents can not watch a teen 24hrs a day.

[GenRom]

Yes, that rational is totally logical and believable. "Somebody's" blowing smoke up everybody's a*s!

[Freenation]

Sick!

[FernandoRuiz]

Wait how were they planning to extort money from John Travolta just because of the death of his son?