Abortion Practitioner Gets Prison Sentence for Extortion
Source: Associated Press; May 24, 2001

Ocala, FL -- - An abortion practitioner convicted of trying to extort
millions of dollars from Marion County, Florida, by falsely accusing an
official of bomb threats received three years and 10 months in prison
during a sentencing hearing Thursday.

A jury in February found abortion practitioner James Scott Pendergraft,
who once "bragged" of committing more abortions than anyone else in the
U.S., guilty in federal court of attempted extortion, conspiracy and mail
fraud. He also was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay a
$25,000 fine.

His real estate adviser, Michael Spielvogel, was convicted of the same
charges, plus lying to the FBI and filing a false statement. Spielvogel
faced up to 40 years in prison during the sentencing hearing but received
a three-year, five-month prison sentence, followed by three years of
probation but was not fined.

Prosecutors said the case was about extortion, not abortion.

The defendants were accused of lying in affidavits in an effort to extort
a big settlement from Marion County in exchange for dropping a lawsuit.
The lawsuit claimed the county and the city of Ocala weren't allowing
off-duty police officers to moonlight at Pendergraft's abortion facility.

The prosecution's case centered on threats that Spielvogel claimed were
made to him in a telephone call by county Commissioner Larry Cretul.
According to Spielvogel, Cretul said it was not a matter of "if" but
"when" Pendergraft's abortion facility would be bombed.

Spielvogel admitted in court that he made up the remarks attributed to
Cretul and that he faked a telephone conversation in front of Pendergraft
so the abortion practitioner would think that Cretul had made the threats.

At a meeting with a county attorney, Pendergraft also threatened to
bankrupt the county by seeking $100 million in damages. His attorneys said
the threat was rhetorical. The meeting was secretly taped by FBI agents.

Pendergraft owns four other abortion facilities in Tampa, Orlando and Fort
Lauderdale. A staffer in Pendergraft's Ocala facility said he intended to
keep his abortion facilities open even if he goes to prison.