Boy, 11, Faces Charges For Extortion

An 11-year-old boy has been charged with trying to extort $500,000 from a couple who won a $7 million state lottery jackpot three years ago.

The boy, whose name has not been released, was charged Monday with first-degree extortion and placed in his mother’s custody pending arraignment, Douglas County Prosecutor Steve Clem said.

Prosecutors allege the Waterville boy tried to extort $500,000 from Bob and June Craig two weeks ago.

The boy has admitted he wrote threatening notes to the Waterville couple, prosecutors say.