Woman Charged with False Rape Report After Athletes Secretly Videotape Her Extortion Attempt

In February, Sherri Ann Urbanic-Bach was charged with filing a false rape report, attempted extortion and prostitution in a case involving players with the St. John’s basketball team.

The basketball team travelled to Pittsburgh on February 4 where it played, and lost, to Pittsburgh 71-51. Around 2:30 a.m., several players met Urbanic-Bach and they went back to a hotel room where she had sex with a number of the players. Around 4:15 a.m., however, Urbanic-Bach called police and reported that she had been gang raped by the basketball players.

When police went to interview the players, however, the woman’s story was undone by a cell phone that one of the players had used to record part of their encounter with the women. The video showed the threatening the players that she would go to police and invent a rape story if they did not pay her the $600 that they had previously agreed to in exchange for sex.

Although all charges against the men were dropped, St. John’s expelled one of the players, permanently suspended another, and forced lesser disciplinary measures on the other four players.

Sources:

Woman felt ‘violated’ when players refused to pay for sex. Jonathan D. Silver, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 6, 2004.

Woman Lied About Gang Rape by Players. Associated Press, February 6, 2004.

Johnnies on the sex spot. ROGER RUBIN, FERNANDA SANTOS, and DAVE GOLDINER, New York Daily News, February 6, 2004.

Tables Turned in Rape Investigation. CNN, January 6, 2004.

Woman charged with lying about gang rape. Associated Press, February 6, 2004.

Rape Allegation Adds to St. John’s Woes. Mike Crissey, Associated Press, February 6, 2004.

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