The former stripper indicted for allegedly extorting Mark Jackson over naked photos the NBA coach sent to her has struck a deal with federal prosecutors to settle a pair of felony charges, records show.
Alexis Adams, who was facing a May 3 trial date, has “reached an agreement in principle” to enter a pretrial diversion program that would allow the 29-year-old’s case to be “resolved short of trial,” according to a U.S. District Court filing.
A stipulation signed by Adams’s lawyer and a federal prosecutor notes that Pretrial Services officials will evaluate Adams for acceptance into the diversion program, a process that takes at least 60 days. If a defendant--usually a first-time offender--successfully completes the diversion program, prosecutors will formally drop charges against them.
Last month, Adams’s codefendant, ex-con Marcus Shaw, pleaded guilty to charges that he conspired with Adams to shake down Jackson over the explicit images. Jackson shared the photos with Adams during the course of an extramarital affair about seven years ago, when Adams (pictured above) danced in a New York gentleman’s club and Jackson did commentary on New Jersey Nets TV broadcasts.
The photos given to Adams show the Golden State Warriors coach (and former NBA star) “without any clothing,” according to an FBI affidavit.
Shaw, a convicted felon who spent several years in prison following a 1996 robbery conviction, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25 in U.S. District Court in Oakland, California. Court records do not detail the nature of the relationship between the 41-year-old Shaw and fellow Atlanta resident Adams, a licensed esthetician who operates a nail salon.
The deals struck by Adams and Shaw surely come as a relief to Jackson, whose team leads the Denver Nuggets 3-1 in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. A trial in the so-called sextortion case would have included Jackson’s testimony about the six-figure shakedown plot, as well as the married father of four’s prior sexual relationship with Adams. Additionally, the naked photos of Jackson would have been marked as government exhibits and shown to jurors.