Russian National Indicted for Alleged $400,000 Extortion From Ex-NY Governor

New York authorities indicted Russian national Svetlana Zakharova for alleged attempt to extort $400,000 from former New York governor Eliot Spitzer, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Zakharova, represented by attorney Christopher Wright, was not present at the court, New York Daily News said Friday.

According to the daily, Zakharova is expected to be brought to the Manhattan Criminal Court on November 1.

Svetlana Zakharova, 26, was arrested on Monday in a New York airport upon her return to the United States from Russia.

Svetlana Zakharova, 26, was arrested Monday night in New York City and charged with grand larceny by extortionhttps://t.co/NUt360hU6k pic.twitter.com/QdtCLnzmUA

— WDTN (@WDTN) 11 октября 2016 г.

​The trial on Zakharova's case began in the Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, Zakharova claimed that Spitzer had assaulted her in the Plaza hotel. Spitzer, who left the New York governor's post in 2008 amid a scandal that exposed him hiring prostitutes, denied all accusations.