Darnell Riley has pleaded guilty to robbery and attempted extortion charges. Riley made the deal with prosecutors who agreed to drop burglary, carjacking and kidnapping for ransom charges against him.
As previously reported in XBiz, Joe Francis testified that Riley, 28, broke into his Bel-Air mansion on Jan. 22, 2004, pulled a gun on him and bound and gagged him. Francis said that he was held up and videotaped while on his bed with his pants down. Riley, according to testimony, then forced Francis to make sexually humiliating comments about himself.
Riley threatened to distribute the video unless Francis paid him $300,000 to $500,000.
Police learned of the crime from Francis' former girlfriend, Paris Hilton, who said she heard it being talked about on the party circuit.
During four hours of recent testimony, Francis also said Riley looted his home “like he was on a shopping spree,” taking his cellphone, Louis Vuitton luggage, a Picasso drawing, his watch and $1,100 in cash.
