NFL star Tyrann Mathieu has been dealing with extortion attempts and death threats—allegedly from a member of his own family. The defensive back, who signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in March, received a phone call the next month from a distant relative in his native New Orleans who threatened to go to the media with sexual misconduct allegations unless he received at least $1.5 million, according to federal court documents unsealed Tuesday, per ABC News. They refer to the athlete as "TM," though Mathieu's lawyer confirmed her client as the victim, per KMBC. When Mathieu blocked 21-year-old Geourvon Sears from contacting him, investigators say the suspect sent messages to friends of Mathieu, saying "5 MILLION BY FRIDAY IM DONE TALKING EMAILING TMZ NOW" and "I want $1.5 million … or I am going to kill all you all."
Sears further threatened to "injure TM's reputation by alleging sexual misconduct" if he wasn't given the money in a call to Mathieu's agent, according to the documents. They note Mathieu feared for his safety and that of his family, believing Sears would follow through on the alleged threat. A photo shared by ABC News reportedly shows Sears in a tactical vest, holding two guns. Ordered to have no contact with Mathieu or any of his associates, Sears is currently on house arrest with a monitoring device, the documents state. Meanwhile, TMZ, rather than reporting on those supposed sexual misconduct allegations, reports Mathieu is newly engaged to Sydni Paige Russell, the stepdaughter of former New York Jets coach Todd Bowles. A proposal video shows her smiling widely as the $250,000 ring lands on her finger. (More extortion stories.)
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