A 23 year-old Indianapolis man who tried to extort money from Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds was arrested recently after he accepted a bogus $9 million check. John T. Clark contacted Babyface’s attorney, William Briggs, claiming to be the singer/producer’s illegitimate son. He threatened to go public with the information unless Edmonds agreed to pay him.
Clark first contacted Briggs’ Los Angeles’ office on May 1 and reportedly demanded $20 million in exchange for his confidence. He threatened to reveal to the media that he was fathered during an affair that Edmonds had with Clark’s mother. On May 11, after lowering his asking price to $9 million, Clark and Briggs agreed to meet in Indianapolis. During the meeting at an area restaurant, Clark read and signed a fake eight-page disclosure statement before accepting the bogus check.
Clark, who is currently being held on $100,000 bond at the Marion County Jail in Indianapolis, appeared in court yesterday, May 24 for his initial hearing. He faces one felony charge of theft and one misdemeanor charge of intimidation; his trial has been set for Aug. 24. The court also demanded that Clark avoid contact with both Briggs and Edmonds. Clark, who had been recently released from jail after serving a stint for robbery, maintains that he is Edmonds’ son.