Man Arrested on Extortion Charge

ATLANTA—Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Mark F. Giuliano, FBI Atlanta, in conjunction with FBI Albany SAC Andrew Vale, announces the following arrest today at Newfield, New York, in connection with an extortion scheme targeting Paula Deen, a public figure and Savannah, Georgia-based business owner.

Thomas George Paculis, age 62, currently a resident of Newfield, New York, and formerly a resident of the Savannah and Augusta, Georgia areas, was arrested without incident this morning by Ithaca, New York-based FBI agents, along with deputies from the Tompkins County Sheriff’ Office in Newfield, New York, based on a federal criminal complaint filed by FBI Atlanta’s Savannah Resident Agency charging him with violation of Title 18 USC Section 875 (d), extortion.

According to the federal criminal complaint, filed in the Southern District of Georgia, on June 24, 2013, the FBI Atlanta’s Savannah Resident Agency was notified through the attorney representing Savannah business owner and public figure Paula Deen of the receipt by their office of an e-mail and follow up telephone call showing that Thomas Paculis was attempting to extort Deen by requesting $250,000 in compensation in return for not disclosing “true and damning” statements made by Deen to the media. Paculis indicated that his information would bring hardship and financial ruin to Deen.

Subsequent to his arrest, Paculis was transported to the Onondaga County Jail, New York, and detained pending his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later in the day. Paculis is currently scheduled to appear in front of a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Savannah, Georgia, on July 16, 2013, at 9:00 a.m.

The public should be reminded that the above are merely allegations and that all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.