Suspect in Movie Mogul Extortion Plot Due in Court

A California man accused of trying to extort a West Virginia coal executive and a Connecticut movie mogul will be arraigned in Beckley, West Virginia today.

West Hollywood resident Vivek Shah, 25, is set to appear Tuesday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge R. Clarke VanDervort.

Shah was indicted last month on charges he threatened to kill relatives of Foresight Reserves owner Christopher Cline if Cline didn't pay up.

Court documents say Shah targeted four other wealthy but unnamed victims, including a film studio co-founder from Connecticut, two oil and gas millionaires in Texas and Florida, and the founder of an internet company in Chicago.

Federal prosecutors won't identify those victims, but the Smoking Gun posted documents stating that Shah is accused of threatening to kill Harvey Weinstein's family if several million dollars wasn't wired to off-shore banks in Antigua, Malta and Mauritius.

The Connecticut Post reports that the threat prompted federal agents to add security around his Westport home when President Barack Obama was here for a $35,000 per person campaign fundraiser.

Defense attorney Troy Giatras said Shah is an aspiring actor.

E Online reports that Shah is a “D-list” actor.

According to an IMDB page, Shah appeared in episodes of Bones and Outsourced and had an uncredited role in “The Dark Knight” in 2008.