The news producer who pleaded guilty to trying to blackmail David Letterman for $2 million was sentenced to 6 months in prison and 1,000 hours of community service today. According to the Daily News, "To wile away the months, Halderman brought along a Bible and a thriller by Stieg Larsson called 'The Girl Who Played With Fire.'" His lawyer Gerald Shargel said, "He's been to every hot spot in the world, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia. I think he can handle Rikers Island."
Halderman was allegedly jealous and upset that his ex-girlfriend, who worked for Letterman, had an affair with the late night host and threatened to expose Letterman's many affairs. The scheme unraveled when Letterman alerted the Manhattan DA's office and went public with the whole matter.
Halderman was fired from his job at CBS News. Shargel told City Room, "The facts of this case are in a very real sense devastating. He’s put it behind him and wants to look forward instead of backward."
