United States v. Ernest Eugene Mahler

Convicted of travelling from California to Arizona for the purpose of committing extortion (Ariz.R.S. § 13-401), a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1952 (a) (3), Mahler appeals. We affirm.

Mahler’s victim had been his paramour, and during their relationship he had taken many photographs of her and of the two of them together. They were of such character that, if seen by others, they could be more than a little damaging to her. At the time of the offense, he was living in a house at Chula Vista, California. She had made the down payment on its purchase. She was living in Tucson, Arizona, in a home that she owned. He found another home in the San Diego area that he wanted to buy, and wrote to her stating that he had been working on a “deal * * * important for you and me.” He then drove to Tucson, bringing the photographs with him. He had prepared copies of a reduced size, and had them in a number of envelopes, ready for mailing. In Tucson, he endeavored, without success, to renew their relationship and to persuade her to sell her home and buy the San Diego property. Failing in this, he produced the photographs, including those in the envelopes, and demanded that she address the envelopes…