Female gets 1 year in GT, Pastner extortion case

• Mark Schlabach, ESPN Elder WriterAug 17, 2023, 07:45 AM ET

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Jennifer Pendley, an Arizona woman who falsely implicated then-Georgia Tech basketball coach Josh Pastner of sexually assaulting her, has been sentenced to one year in prison and three years of monitored release, according to federal court records.Pendley had pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to devote extortion. Her co-conspirator, Ronald Bell, received a 33-month jail sentence on the very same charge.The federal government stated Bell, who had actually been

Pastner’s good friend, admitted he recruited a guard who worked Georgia Tech basketball games to wrongly declare that he saw Pastner attack Pendley. Bell had actually promised the security guard a share of what he alleged would be a $20 million settlement.Pastner, who was fired as the Yellow Jackets’coach in March, rejected the couple’s claims, saying there was”absolutely no truth to any of those disgusting, fake claims. It’s revolting. “The federal government stated Bell likewise communicated with Georgia Tech authorities and demanded cash

in exchange for not reporting the alleged sexual attack. In one text message, Bell composed:”This is going to get extremely unsightly. GT has made no effort … to agreeably fix this … I guess this needs to get awful. I attempted to fix this without damaging GT’s credibility …”Georgia Tech authorities refused to pay Bell, and Pendley filed a lawsuit soon afterwards in which she declared sexual

assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.The guard later recanted his declaration to law enforcement about seeing Pastner assault Pendley prior to a game against Sam Houston State in Atlanta on

Nov. 22, 2016. The security guard later on admitted he wasn’t working that day, ran out the state and made the accusations” in exchange for an offer of a portion of an anticipated civil monetary settlement/judgment. “