PORT ANGELES — A Bothell man has pleaded not guilty in Clallam County Superior Court to charges of second-degree extortion and first-degree theft, both with special allegations, after a Sequim woman was scammed out of $40,000.
Pralay Kumar Kar, 39, allegedly contacted the woman numerous times between Feb. 13 and March 12, posing as an officer with the Federal Trade Commission, according to court documents. He reportedly told her she was suspected of money laundering, and to prove her innocence, she had to hand-deliver cash to a location in Sequim.
Kar, who appeared Wednesday and remains in the Clallam County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bond, is next scheduled for a status hearing on April 24. His trial has been set to start May 12.
Alla Mashkova, 35, who allegedly received the $40,000, was arrested and booked into Clallam County Jail on March 12. She was released March 25 after she posted $50,000 bail.
Mashkova’s next scheduled court date is scheduled for a status conference on May 22; her trial is set to begin June 23.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@ peninsuladailynews.com.
