The Latest: Ex-NY governor extortion case woman held on bail

NEW YORK – The Latest on a woman accused of trying to extort money from ex-Gov. Spitzer (all times local):

4:45 p.m.

A woman who accused Eliot Spitzer of assaulting her is being held on $1 million bail on charges she extorted nearly $400,000 from the former New York governor.

Svetlana Zakharova appeared in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday following her arrest in New York. She openly wept throughout most of the proceeding.

A judge set the bail after a prosecutor described Zakharova as an extreme flight risk. Her attorney said she had no reason to flee.

Authorities say the Russian woman fled the U.S. after accusing Spitzer in February of assaulting her at The Plaza Hotel. Spitzer denied the allegations.

The 26-year-old Zakharova has been charged with grand larceny by extortion. She’s also charged with forgery in an unrelated case involving a Bloomfield, New Jersey man.

___

12:40 a.m.

A woman who accused former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer of assaulting her has been arrested for trying to extort money from him.

Police say 26-year-old Svetlana Zakharova was arrested Monday night in New York.

The Russian woman fled the country after accusing Spitzer in February of assaulting her at The Plaza Hotel. Spitzer denied the allegations.

Police say Zakharova has been charged with grand larceny by extortion. She’s also charged with forgery in an unrelated case in which police say she used a Bloomfield, New Jersey man’s information and signed a lease agreement that ended up costing him $18,000.

It was not immediately clear if she had an attorney who could comment on the charges.

She’s scheduled to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday.

___

Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.