Thomas George Paculis today pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to extort $200,000 to keep quiet about damaging testimony involving Savannah celebrity chef Paula Deen.
“I did and I do take responsibility for what I have done,” Paculis, 62, told U.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr.
The defendant will be sentenced following completion of a pre-sentencing investigation by probation officers. While that process generally takes several months, defense attorney Richard Darden told Moore the defendant had already met with probation officers and a pre-sentencing investigation should be finished within “two to three weeks.” Moore reluctantly allowed Paculis to remain free on a $10,000 unsecured bond but required him to be placed on electronic monitoring at his own expense.
Moore said it was only the second time in his 20 years on the bench that a defendant had been accused of perjury in the court.