NY Woman Sentenced For Catfishing High-Profile CEO, Threatening To Reveal His Sexual Relationships

A woman in New York has been sentenced after she catfished and attempted to extort a high-profile CEO of a publicly traded corporation.

Sakoya Blackwood, 35, was sentenced on Wednesday by Judge Jesse Furman from a Manhattan federal court to time already served in jail for cyberstalking, in addition to three years of supervised release for catfishing and extortion, according to CNBC.

The 35-year-old was charged with trying to extort a CEO of a publicly traded corporation of up to $300,000 to keep quiet about the millionaire's sexual escapades, including allegedly having sex with a minor. The latter claim was proven false, but Blackwood and the CEO did share sexually explicit photographs and messages.

The CEO's identity was never made public by the court. However, court filings released last week described him as a Harvard-educated CEO who is in his late 60s.

Prosecutors said Blackwood targeted multiple victims, all of whom were "wealthy and high-profile men." However, she was only charged in the case connected to the CEO.

Michael Tremonte, Blackwood's lawyer, said she only contacted men rumored to have been involved in domestic violence, sexual harassment or sexual assault.

"She became particularly upset about narratives involving men who sexually took advantage of young women or abused positions of political, social, or corporate power, and then got away with it," he wrote.

Tremonte then added that Blackwood "could not be more ashamed" for catfishing and extorting victims after spending 10 months in jail.

The New York local was first arrested in September 2022 for catfishing several wealthy and powerful men in a scheme that began in March of last year. Prosecutors for the case said Blackwood used "multiple online identities," including Koya Blackwood Fews, Susannah Forest, Harper Dean, Lila Cohen, Nataya Romeo and Jessica Bottomly, MD.

"No one should have to fear public humiliation and financial loss from the release of personal, private information. As alleged, Sakoya Blackwood created that very fear and sought to capitalize on it for her own personal gain. I commend the victim for reporting this alleged criminal activity and encourage anyone else who believes they may have been a victim of this scheme to contact the FBI," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said.

Blackwood, who came to the country from Jamaica as a child, is now facing the risk of being deported. She is also at risk of being separated from her 12-year-old daughter.