People v. Newson

Following a bench trial, defendant was convicted of extortion, MCL 750.213; MSA 28.410, and being a third-felony habitual offender, MCL 769.11; MSA 28.1083. After imposing and vacating a sentence on the underlying charge, the trial court sentenced defendant to twenty-six years eight months to forty years in prison on the habitual offender conviction. Defendant appeals as of right from his conviction and sentence.

The extortion charge arose out of a threatening phone call made to Sally Crudder, in which the caller informed Crudder that he had been hired to kill her in exchange for $5,000. The…