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Mental Health Counselor Charged With Extortion

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TBO.com

Published: February 16, 2009

PAUL SANDMAN

A Winter Haven mental health counselor was arrested today, accused of trying to extort money from one of his clients.

Paul H. Sandman, 57, of 393 Lake Daisy Drive, Winter Haven, offered to give his client, Marshall Books, a certificate for completing four years' worth of therapy if Books paid him $2,000, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

Books chose Sandman from a Florida Department of Corrections list of acceptable providers after Books was court-ordered to 10 years probation in 2003.

As part of his probation, Books was ordered to attend mental health therapy for four years, sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Eleazer said in a written statement.

After he finished the four years of treatment, a certificate of completion would be issued to Books, his probation would end and he would be allowed unsupervised visitation with his biological children, Eleazer said.

But Books' completion of the counseling program was delayed when Sandman was arrested on Feb. 11, 2007, on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and loitering and prowling, Eleazer said.

The DOC removed Sandman from its list of counselors, but Sandman told Books he would again be placed on the list, investigators say. Books stayed with Sandman and the counselor was put back on the list last month.

On Feb. 4, Sandman told Brooks he was having financial problems and had to move to Tennessee, investigators say. Sandman told his client that he would give him his certificate of completion if Books would pay him $2,500 and rent a storage unit for him for two years, Eleazer said.

Books called the sheriff's office today after Sandman said he would lower the money to $2,000, investigators say.

Sandman was charged with one count of felony extortion. He was being held without bail Monday night at the Polk County Jail.

Anyone with information on Sandman or the case can call the Polk County Sheriff's Office department of criminal investigations at (863) 534-6379 or 1-800-226-0344.

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