Thomas George Paculis was arrested Friday on charges of blackmailing embattled celebrity chef Paula Deen.
According to New York Daily News, 62-year old Paculis was a longtime resident of Savannah, Ga- the same hometown as Deen. He was arrested on charges of attempting to extort $250,000 from Deen, who is watching her empire fall following the release of a deposition she gave admitting to the use of the ‘n-word.’
Paculis demanded the heft amount in order to keep quite the “true and damning statements” about her use of the ‘N-word’ at her business. He sent several e-mail’s to Deen’s lawyer saying he "would damage your client in so many ways that it would sink your ship before it left the dock."
He has also sent e-mails to Lisa Jackson, the woman suing Deen for creating a hostile work environment, saying, “Now the burning question is…do you want in…I have them hooked, but reeling this sucker in is gonna be hard without help."
Since the National Enquirer published the southern chef’s deposition, she has seen her longstanding work crumble before her. The Food Network has opted to release Deen from her contract, while Target, WalMart, Home Depot, QVC and many other branches have decided to not sell her product stating that they do not support the statements she has made.
Paculis is currently in jail awaiting to see a judge on July 16.
Image: ABC