Suburban man pleads guilty for his role in extortion plot

An Itasca man with ties to the Chicago mob faces more than 12 years in prison after pleading guilty Friday in federal court to three counts of conspiracy to commit extortion.

Paul Carparelli, 47, admitted to conspiring to travel across the country to collect — with threats of violence — debts ranging from $90,000 to $200,000.

During one planning session, Carparelli instructed an associate in the use of violence against a debtor.

“Go over there, give him an f—ing crack, and we’ll get in contact with him, ah, I’ll have somebody else get in contact with him in about a month,” Carparelli said.

Unbeknownst to Carparelli, his associate was working undercover for the FBI, according to prosecutors.

Carparelli appeared in a Dirksen Federal Building courtroom wearing an orange jumpsuit and leg shackles Friday, after U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman revoked his bond last month.

During that April hearing, prosecutors said that Carparelli had threatened a witness while out on bond in the extortion case.

Sentencing is set for Sept. 29. Carparelli is expected to argue he should serve as little as five years behind bars.