KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CN) — Federal prosecutors accuse a former wedding photographer of extorting, enticing and defrauding women by claiming to "audition" them for porn movies and sending the pornography to their boyfriends and employers if they refused to pay.
Prosecutors unsealed a 21-count indictment against Mario A. Antoine, 33, Raymore, Mo., charging him with wire fraud, cyberstalking, online enticement, lying to federal agents, obstructing justice, and extortion.
The indictment, filed under seal on Oct. 12, details what allegedly happened to six of his "dozens" of victims.
Antoine surrendered to authorities on Monday.
Antoine created at least 10 online aliases in 2011 to portray himself as a talent manager and photographer for fictitious companies named "Playboy Worldwide," "Playboy Asia," "Dash Agency" and others that he claimed managed private overseas pornography websites, according to the lengthy indictment.
From 2011 through this year Antoine used the domains to induce women into having sex with him, for bogus modeling contracts and promises of "tens of thousands of dollars," prosecutors said.
He gave his victims forged documents, including forged checks issued to other "models," IRS tax forms and Department of Homeland Security employment forms, according to the grand jury indictment.
He offered one victim $8,000 for a "BJ" and $15,000 for sexual intercourse; sent another victim a photo of a stack of $100 bills and boasted, "I haven't looked at a price tag when I've been shopping in like months ... I know I got it in the bank;" and extorted them for money or more sex when they complained, according to the indictment.
He threatened one woman that he would post the pornography he shot of her on the internet unless she paid him $9,000 "or she could come to Antoine's house and have sex with him," the indictment states — so she drove to his house and had sex with him.
He sent another victim photos of her covered in semen and threatened to post them on a revenge porn site if she refused to do a "reshoot," prosecutors said.
Page 11 of the 24-page indictment continues: "After Victim 3 responded to Antoine that she did not want to reshoot, Antoine replied, 'well your shit is going to be all over the web ... when you lose your job ... then what ... how are you going to pay for shit when you have NO job ... like you're gonna end up fucking up your whole life over 30 mins of your time.' Victim 3 responds to Antoine that she will not engage in a reshoot, to which he replied, 'well have it your way ... You won't be able to get a job, [Victim 3's employer] will fire you ... everyone in KC will know you as the 'porn girl with braces' ... I don't get it, why would you fuck up your future like that?'" (Ellipses and brackets in indictment.)
After Antoine sent that woman a photograph of a forged check for $18,000 that he falsely claimed was issued to her, she entered into a "model release and grant of rights" and had sex with Antoine again, which he recorded, the indictment states. When she complained about not being paid three months later, prosecutors said, Antoine sent the porn images to her managers at work.
Antoine was released from prison last month after serving time for stealing by deceit and unlawful merchandising practices in his wedding photography business. After release, he allegedly impeded the FBI's investigation of his pornography frauds by denying that he promised money and offered payment to his victims.
Authorities are seeking additional victims. They ask anyone with information to call the FBI and 816-512-8200.
Antoine is in federal custody awaiting a detention hearing Thursday.
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