The news producer accused of trying to blackmail David Letterman agreed Tuesday to plead guilty to attempted grand larceny in exchange for six months in jail and four and a half years probation, according to various reports. He also must complete 1,000 hours of community service.
Robert Halderman, 52, entered his plea in Manhattan Supreme Court this afternoon. Earlier in the day, TMZ confirmed with Halderman's lawyer that he would indeed cop to the charges.
Halderman, who originally pleaded not guilty, faced upwards of 15 years in prison if convicted.
The bizarre story began in October when 'The Late Show' host stunned viewers by abruptly revealing the existence of an extortion case against him and acknowledging that he'd had affairs with women on his staff.
As the saga unfolded, details began to emerge.
Halderman reportedly demanded $2 million as hush money, threatening to reveal information he'd gleaned from reading in his then-girlfriend's diary about her trysts with Letterman, her boss. Halderman's threat was couched as an outline of a thinly-veiled screenplay about the comic's life unraveling with the disclosure of his dalliances, prosecutors say.
His lawyer, Gerald Shargel, claimed Halderman was simply offering to sell his "very marketable story" to Letterman -- and to keep it confidential as part of the deal.
"This was not a sale of anything legitimate, this was classic extortion," Letterman lawyer Daniel J. Horwitz replied in a statement.
Halderman was a producer for CBS' '48 Hours.'
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