RADAR ON THE SCENE: Letterman Extortionist Returns Home
Oct. 3 2009, Published 1:06 p.m. ET
The man charged with extorting David Letterman returned home Friday night.
RadarOnline.com was on the scene as Robert Joe Halderman, a producer with the CBS true-crime show 48 Hours Mystery, came back to his Connecticut house after pleading not guilty in Manhattan court Friday to one charge of attempted first degree larceny.
A car came speeding up to the house, hit the brakes, backed up and then made a U-turn. Halderman and two other men jumped out and walked quickly toward the house.
Halderman, wearing jeans and a sports jacket, was in the middle and stayed silent when asked to comment on the Letterman extortion plot. One of his burly friends shouted, “He’s got nothing to say!” before slamming the front door.
VIDEO: Letterman Admits To Having Sex With Staffers
Halderman is accused of approaching Letterman and demanding $2 million in exchange for not exposing the talk show host’s secrets, which included Letterman having a sexual relationship with Halderman’s former girlfriend, Stephanie Birkitt, a Letterman staffer. And according to one of Halderman’s neighbors he and Birkitt were living together as recently as three weeks ago. Kevin Lane told RadarOnline.com that he recently spent time with the couple and said, “Joe loved Steph. They seemed very close together. "I had drinks at their house a few months ago and I didn't see anything wrong. They kidded around, just like a normal dating couple."Birkitt has since moved out of the Connecticut home they shared.
Click here to read the complete interview with Halderman’s neighbor.
Letterman admitted that he has had sexual relationships with members of his staff. RadarOnline.com has confirmed that some of those relationships occurred while Letterman was living with the Regina Lasko, now his wife.
Birkitt did not know that Halderman was using the knowledge of her sexual relationship with Letterman in his alleged extortion scheme. Letterman contact authorities and their investigation led to a sting where Halderman accepted and deposited a $2 million check.
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