Deal approved in extortion of Gloversville mayor

PHOTOGRAPHER: Michael Lamendola

A city woman pleaded guilty to a violation Monday in City Court in connection with an alleged attempt to extort $2,000 from Mayor Dayton King.

Kristi L. Lyons, 29, of 29 Orchard St. will serve no jail time and pay only a $120 surcharge, according to court records. Judge John Clo also granted the mayor and his wife, Chanda, orders of protection against Lyons.

Lyons had been charged with grand larceny, a class E felony, on July 16 in a city police sting operation. Her plea was part of an agreement by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, her attorney Michael Smrtic and King. Smrtic and King were not available Tuesday for comment for this story.

The mayor spoke to The Gazette earlier this month about the case, and gave the following account:

Lyons said she had a sexual relationship with King and that she planned to release an incriminating email unless he paid her $2,000. King denied the relationship and worked with city police to gather evidence against Lyons.

King and Lyons met in a city park July 16. She showed King the email and then deleted it; in return, King gave her $2,000, which he said was “police money.”

King said the email in question was a response to a comment Lyons made to his “Mayor Dayton King” Facebook page. He said she congratulated him for doing a good job as mayor and he wrote back, “I appreciate your support.”

Kristi Lyons does not appear to have a Facebook page under her name and address in Gloversville.

King said Lyons was one of his 4,500 Facebook friends and that he exchanges messages with people all the time. He said she contacted him in July and threatened to use the message against him unless he gave her money.

“When I got that phone call from her, I called my wife and we called the police. I will not be extorted,” he told The Daily Gazette earlier.

He said he does not know why Lyons chose to contact him.

“I did not have $2,000 lying around. Maybe she thought I made more money,” he said.

King called himself the victim in the case and said he did nothing wrong.

“I am not embarrassed. Someone made up a story, but it affects my family. My kids will have to hear from their peers about their daddy,” he said.