T.A. man indicted for extorting, harassing attorney over 25 years

An indictment was filed with the Tel Aviv District Court Monday against 53-year-old Tel Aviv resident Shlomo Albo for threatening, extorting and harassing attorney Uri Gaon, and threatening other plaintiffs.

Albo's actions were carried out as acts of revenge for a trial Albo's family lost to a law office in which Gaon was employed as an intern, 25 years ago.

For the past 25 years the defendant has repeatedly threatened and harassed Gaon. Ten years ago, Albo slapped Gaon when he met him in Tel Aviv.

Over the years Albo has also slashed Gaon's tiers, hired a man to fire at his car, and sent a plant accompanied by an anonymous 'happy holidays' note to his office .

In March 2007 Albo met with Gaon in the presence of a third party. In the meeting, Albo claimed that he was being persecuted and that a business enterprise of his had failed because of this. Albo demanded financial restitution from Gaon, but the attorney refused and denied any connection to the events described by Albo. Shortly thereafter, a stun grenade was thrown at Gaon's home while he was traveling to his office. According to the indictment, Albo perpetrated the act "to send the plaintiff a threatening message."

The indictment also describes how Albo set fire to a car belonging to Gaon's wife and repeatedly phoned his household in order to "terrorize the family members," and details how a second stun grenade attack on the plaintiff's home caused his family to suffer shock. The indictment alleges that these actions were aimed at scaring Gaon into paying Albo a large sum of money which he believed was owed to him as restitution for his family's legal defeat.