Friday, June 19, 2009

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Former officer convicted of extortion

WOBURN, Mass. -- A former Lowell police officer has been found guilty of intimidating a bookie into forgiving his gambling debt.

Prosecutors say 33-year-old David Annis was convicted Friday by a judge of extortion, keeping a place for registering bets, unauthorized access to a computer system, and unlawfully obtaining criminal offender records.

The Middlesex district attorney's office requested a three- to four-year prison sentence, but a judge fined Annis $12,000.

Authorities say Annis ran up $5,000 in debt to a Westford bookmaker. When they met to settle the debt, Annis showed his badge and suggested he was investigating gambling cases. He told the bookmaker he wouldn't be arrested and the money was not paid.

Annis' lawyer did not immediately return a call.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)