Hines Ward threat: Pittsburgh Man gets probation for threats to NFL receiver
Pittsburgh Man gets probation for threats to NFL receiver. Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward has now seen a threat toward him, thwarted. The Associated Press reported on April 26, 2013, that 26-year-old Joshua Van Auker has been given two years of probation for attempting to extort $15,000 from Ward.
On Tuesday, Van Auker pleaded guilty to a lesser version of the original charge of attempted theft by trying to expose a secret. The police were alerted by Ward's assistant last year when Van Auker sent him a text message claiming to have damaging information.
An investigation went down with detectives from the district attorney's office in Allegheny County. It appears as if Van Auker made demands for money from Ward after he learned the former NFL receiver "had been involved in a prior physical relationship with Ward." news.yahoo reported
At one point, Van Auker even told Ward's assistant that "It's called buying silence, brother."
Van Auker was eventually arrested in Oct. of 2012, and his attorney David Shrager, said that his client was "naive and inexperienced." An apology was also give to Ward from Shrager for the whole incident.
On Tuesday, Van Auker pleaded guilty to a lesser version of the original charge of attempted theft by trying to expose a secret. The police were alerted by Ward's assistant last year when Van Auker sent him a text message claiming to have damaging information.
An investigation went down with detectives from the district attorney's office in Allegheny County. It appears as if Van Auker made demands for money from Ward after he learned the former NFL receiver "had been involved in a prior physical relationship with Ward." news.yahoo reported
At one point, Van Auker even told Ward's assistant that "It's called buying silence, brother."
Van Auker was eventually arrested in Oct. of 2012, and his attorney David Shrager, said that his client was "naive and inexperienced." An apology was also give to Ward from Shrager for the whole incident.
