Police: Sister claims Twins pitcher Pavano was target of extortion

HARTFORD, Conn. – A high school classmate of Minnesota Twins pitcher Carl Pavano threatened to reveal an alleged homosexual relationship they had and to write a book about it unless Pavano apologized to him and bought him a navy Range Rover SUV with tan leather, according to a search warrant affidavit filed by police in Connecticut.

Police in Pavano’s hometown of Southington, about 18 miles southwest of Hartford, said in the affidavit that they began investigating the allegations after Pavano’s sister, Michelle DeGennaro, complained in December that she had received several troublesome Facebook messages from the classmate, Christian Bedard.

DeGennaro told police that Bedard made up a bogus story about having a relationship with her brother in an attempt to extort her family.

Officers executed the search warrant at Bedard’s home on March 21.

Bedard said on Facebook that police took his laptop computer, material relating to his relationship with Pavano and the book he was writing. Bedard hasn’t been charged.