John Stamos Deals With Vicious Extortion in Court

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Jul 13th 2010 07:15AM

A woman charged with conspiring to bilk actor John Stamos of hundreds of thousands of dollars had a brief romantic fling with him when she was a 17-year-old high school student during a spring break trip to Florida in 2004, an attorney said Monday.

Defense lawyer Sarah Henderson made the allegation during opening arguments in the U.S. District Court trial of Allison Coss and Scott Sippola, even though the presiding judge last week ruled that testimony about whether the 'ER' and 'Full House' star had an intimate relationship with Coss would not be allowed. Opening statements are not testimony and cannot be considered by jurors as evidence but allow attorneys to outline the case they will present.

Stamos, who attended the trial's opening day, declined comment to The Associated Press but is expected to testify.

His attorney, William Sobel, issued a statement through publicist Matt Polk that said: "The allegations made today in the courtroom by the defendants' attorneys during opening statements will not be proven because they are simply untrue."

Polk declined further comment.

Coss, 24, and Sippola, 31, both of Marquette, are accused of conspiring to extort $680,000 from Stamos by telling him they had photos of him with cocaine and strippers. Prosecutors contend the pictures don't exist, and FBI agents testified Monday they found no such photos while searching the defendants' house after their arrest.

Henderson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maarten Vermaat agreed in their opening statements that Coss and Stamos met in Orlando, Fla., in 2004 -- shortly after Stamos had separated from his wife, actress and supermodel Rebecca Romijn. The couple divorced the next year.

Henderson said Stamos, now 46, noticed Coss and another girl at a club, asked friends to bring them over and later invited the star-struck teens to his hotel room. Stamos ordered a drink for Coss even after she told him she was 17, Henderson said.

Two women who worked as strippers eventually showed up in the room with a bag of cocaine, she said, and Coss and her friend took a picture of Stamos bending over a table where the drugs had been laid out.

Henderson said Stamos and Coss later kissed on a bed and got into a hot tub together after Stamos undressed and Coss stripped to her underwear. She said Stamos offered to perform oral sex on Coss, but she declined. Florida law makes it a second-degree felony for someone 24 or older to have oral sex with anyone 16 or 17 years old. It carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.

Stamos eventually became frustrated, broke a bedpost with his hand and left the room before apologizing and inviting Coss to spend the night, which she did, Henderson said.

For the next few years, they maintained a "flirty kind of relationship" by e-mail, Henderson said.

Vermaat also said the two exchanged e-mails "with some regularity" but did not discuss details of the alleged 2004 encounter.

Stamos received two e-mails last fall from a "Jessica T" who claimed she was pregnant and Stamos was the father, Vermaat said. Later came a series of e-mails from a "Brian L" describing allegedly compromising photos and saying they would be sold to tabloids if Stamos did not buy them for $680,000.

Prosecutors contend Coss and Sippola sent the e-mails.

Stamos contacted the FBI, Vermaat said. During testimony, two agents described a sting operation that ended with Coss and Sippola's arrest at K.I. Sawyer International Airport near Marquette, where an agent posing as a Stamos representative had promised to leave a bag of cash.

"This is really just a get-rich-quick scheme that is based on lies and betrayal," Vermaat told the jury of eight men and four women.

Defense attorneys acknowledged their clients tried to sell photos to Stamos but insisted they had a right to do so and considered it a legitimate business transaction, not a crime.

"Human beings make mistakes," Henderson said. "Not all mistakes are illegal."

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Tags: John Stamos

Comments

(61)

Tuesday 13 July

By themeeker

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If this girl was going to clubs at 17, you know she's bad news.

By Bobina T

Seriously! What was John thinking anyway? He was in his 40's and inviting much younger women up to his room. He should stick to women closer to his own age. You can tell a 17 year old from a 37 year old fairly easy. Open your eyes John!

By dette

John...You handsome freak!!!

Wednesday 14 July

By dcgzr

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O.K....The AGE???
Idol Hugh Hefner and he is O.K. to date any girl under the age of 24....
This girl was wild...her parents let her drift...
I never met a girl over 14 who was a virgin...
So what if she got Stamos...It obviously did not bother her parents..And I am sure she was not raped....Damn kids will do what they like...I did,and you you didn't do the same...Your a loser!!!!!!!!!!

By Michelle

Ok for starters, Stamos would not have called the FBI if guilty of anything she is saying. Second, Stars have their reps invite all kinds of people to after parties so that when the paparazzi takes pics there are people having fun hanging out with the star. Its for publicity. You can bet there were a hundred other people there too. And last, I am from Marquette and these two are something. He is a clubowner in a small town and the economy is very bad. Figure it out..........They live well beyond their means, huge house, lots of expensive cars, etc......her actions as an adult are no better than her actions as a teenager....I hope they go to jail for a very long time for this....

By J.Johnson

Please. In this twisted world we now live in, having a scandal where you are seen with strippers and cocaine actually helps your career.

On a slightly chavinistic note, who are teaching our young women that extortion is now the new best vocation for getting ahead?

By Jon

Yes agreed just like most teen girls nowadays think that if that if they get knocked up with a guy that the guy will stay with them, buti got new for ya we wont we just want some and to live our lives.

By chris

Lets see, she works as a stripper (article states), she's in a club. So I doubt he knew she was 17. This again proves if you are a politician, celebrity or have any kind of money,you can't trust anyone.The recent Tiger stories show they are out for one thing MONEY. Saving 300 text messages, a stained dress, stained pants etc, shows they intend to make money either by blackmail or selling the story.

By Brent

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Read the article again. She was a high school student on Spring Break, not a stripper. The stripper was a different person.

By jqrus

Two women who worked as strippers eventually showed up in the room. Looks like Trent didn't read the article that well.
I like Stamos, He is always going to be good looking. I'm surprised he's not a bigger star. He's very likable on screen. There are loads of Barracuda women out there, Men Beware.

By Peggy

When are these low life trashy people going to learn that just because an actor or sports person has money it doesn't mean that they are going to pay out just to shut up their idiotic lies? Tiger Woods, Stevem Segal are recent examples of idiots trying to get a fast buck to support their habit.

Stay strong Stamos, this girl is trash and every judge and jury will think so too.

By JB

Well, let's see a pic of her before we make any rash judgments.

By RubiLove1017

I'm with you Themeeker, this girl is trash and she only wants to ruin the reputation of Stamos. They also said that they have pictures of Stamos being with that stupid stripper girl but I know is not true, and besides it if were true why would Stamos go to the FBI if he had anything to hide. That shows that she made the whole story up, just to get money from it. I hope she goes to jail for a very long time for been such a liar. Stay strong Stamos, I know your innocent and I believe in you. I know your a perfect gentleman and a good Actor and you would never do something stupid like that. You so much better than her. Just because she has a bad reputation she, wants to destroy yours but it won't work because you have the support of all your Fans, and mine.
be patient Stamos this will end soon.
I'll be rooting for you.

By Christian Figueroa

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excuse me, but where is the rage at the fact that he had sex with someone underage?

Excuse me, but where is the proof? Just because some immoral little grifter claims it, does not automatically make it so.

By Angela

Where is the proof that he had sex with her? The entire case is based on his saying he DID NOT. And why would he go to the FBI if he had anything to hide? I'm not buying her story at all.

By pegesus6

Would you be wondering this if it had been you in the position to jump her bones. Would you be outraged at the thought? I highly doubt it. Typical males with one track minds.

By Dave

Read the article again....it doesn't say that he had sex with her...

By dan

there is none, she was willingly in a night club not forced to be there. she willingly went up to a strangers room, and even if it is john stamos he is a stranger. and everything else that happened whe was a willing participant in that as well. stupid on his part yes, but extortion much worse.

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