NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - A man accused of trying to extort film magnate Harvey Weinstein has been indicted on charges that he threatened to kill the relative of a coal company owner unless he received $13 million.
Vivek Shah, 25, of West Hollywood, threatened to kill at least one member of Christopher Cline's family if Cline didn't wire the money to an offshore account, authorities said.
Shah was arrested on August 10, 2012, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in West Virginia. The criminal complaint said Shah sought handgun training only days before he was arrested.
Shah was widely reported to be the same Vivek Shah as an actor who has appeared in small roles in "Bones," "Outsourced," and "The Dark Knight." An attorney for Shah could not immediately be located Thursday.
An affidavit in the case said Shah tried to shake down four other people besides Cline. One of the alleged victims, identified in the complaint only as "a Connecticut resident and co-founder of a movie studio," was Weinstein.
The affidavit said Shah used prepaid debit cards and fake names to carry out the scheme, and tried to hide his identity by parking near a Starbucks and using its wifi from his car.
Shah is charged with two counts of interference with commerce by threats and two counts of transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce. If convicted, he could be sentenced to forty years in prison.
