In January, a lawyer sent a letter to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott seeking settlement of a potential claim for sexual assault. Today, Prescott turned the tables, suing the alleged victim and her lawyers for extortion.
The case was filed in Collin County, Texas against Victoria Shores and her attorneys, Bethel T. Zehaie and Yoel T. Zehaie. The 11-page lawsuit includes claims for defamation and slander, defamation per se, civil extortion/duress, business disparagement, tortious interference with current and/or prospective business relations, civil conspiracy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Prescott contends that, on January 16, 2024, the attorneys sent a letter to Prescott alleging that he sexually assaulted Shores in February 2017.
“Ms. Shores has had to live with this pain and trauma for 7 years,” the letter explains. “It affected her relationship with her fiancé and her everyday existence so much that she had to attend therapy and counseling and will require future therapy and counseling. She has suffered mental anguish that is unimaginable dealing with the trauma of being a sexual assault of victim. Despite the tragic events, she is willing to forego pursuing criminal charges, along with disclosing this information to the public, in exchange for compensating her for the mental anguish she has suffered. Ms. Shores’s damages are valued at the sum of $100,000,000.00. You have until February 16, 2024, to respond to this demand letter.”
Prescott’s lawyer, Levi McCathern issued a statement regarding the matter.
“Recently, Mr. Prescott found himself the subject of an extortion plot,” McCathern said. “The Defendant and her legal team have threatened to go public with a completely fabricated story of sexual assault from nearly a decade ago, and demanded that Mr. Prescott immediately pay $100 Million in exchange for her not pressing false charges with the authorities.
“Mr. Prescott — a new father to a baby girl — has great empathy for survivors of sexual assault. He fervently believes that all perpetrators of such crimes should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. To be clear, Mr. Prescott has never engaged in any nonconsensual, sexual conduct with anyone. Lies hurt. Especially, malicious lies. We will not allow the Defendant and her legal team to profit from this attempt to extort millions from Mr. Prescott.”
According to McCathern, Prescott has reported the matter to the “appropriate authorities” and “will continue to cooperate fully in their investigation.” Prescott also has vowed to donate any recovery as a result of the lawsuit to the “Joyful Heart Foundation, whose vision is a world free of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse or another like-minded organization.”
There’s a line between extortion and a legitimate demand to resolve a potential legal claim. Many potential and legitimate legal claims are raised by a pre-suit demand letter. If those claims are fabricated, and if the lawyers know or have reason to know that, it can become a major problem for those making the claims.
Prescott has opted not to just wait for the lawsuit to be filed. He has filed the lawsuit. If Shores has a claim to be made, she can filed a counterclaim against Prescott.
