Two Marquette residents charged with extortion.
MARQUETTE -- A representative for actor John Stamos confirmed Tuesday that he's the target of an extortion plot allegedly carried out by a Marquette couple. Authorities say 30-year-old Scott Sippola and 23-year-old Allison Coss tried to blackmail Stamos with pictures taken during a party.
In the affidavit, it states Coss and a friend (not Sippola) met Stamos at a party in Florida in 2004. Then this past month, the affidavit states Coss and Sippola tried to sell pictures to Stamos, allegedly taken of the celebrity during the 2004 party. Authorities say Coss and Sippola demanded Stamos pay $680,000 or the pictures would be released to the media. The affidavit says the couple believed the photos would harm the star’s reputation.
An undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of Stamos met Sippola and Coss at Boreal Aviation last Wednesday in Sawyer. The couple was then arrested.
FBI agents then came to Sippola and Coss' home in Marquette Township. After obtaining a search warrant, agents say they went inside and recovered three photos that had been sent to Stamos. They also obtained a piece of paper with the names and numbers of three tabloid magazines and Stamos’ personal phone number. Agents also recovered a laptop from Coss' vehicle.
TV6 News tried to talk to Sippola and Coss at their home, but no one answered the door. Neither of their lawyers returned our calls. We also went to the Matrixx; Sippola owns the nightclub and Coss works there, but we had no luck.
Both are scheduled to have their preliminary hearing in federal court in Marquette December 17.
Stamos spokesman Matt Polk said Tuesday the photos are simply pictures of the actor posing with fans. He says the photos eventually will be released.
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