By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter Producer
MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — Accused David Letterman blackmailer Robert "Joe" Halderman pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny on Tuesday and apologized to the "Late Show" host, his family and the woman at the center of the scandal.
The fallen former CBS producer faced up to 15 years in prison but will serve just six months in jail plus five years probation.
He must also serve 1,000 hours of community service split between the Fortune Society in New York and a homeless shelter Connecticut, where he has a home in Norwalk.
The former "48 Hours" producer allegedly tried to shake down the late night funnyman for $2 million in exchange for a screenplay treatment about Letterman's reported infidelities.
"This so-called treatment was just a thinly veiled threat to ruin Mr. Letterman if he did not pay me a lot of money," Halderman read from a plea allocution in court.
"I knew throughout this time that I was not engaged in a legitimate business transaction with Mr. Letterman and that what I was doing was against New York law.
Halderman's attorney, Gerald Shargel, had tried repeatedly to have the case dismissed, saying the case was unconstitutional and arguing that police illegally searched his client's home.
At a press conference after the plea, Shargel explained the change of circumstances.
"We had a novel defense here involving complicated legal issues," Shargel said. "I was very excited about the defense, but there would be a long road ahead of us.
"Considering the risks and rewards and the need for Joe to put this behind him and get on with his life, those needs were paramount," the lawyer added.
Halderman made a brief statement to the press for the first time since his arrest. He repeated his apology to Letterman and Halderman’s ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Birkitt, a “Late Show” assistant who reportedly had an affair with Letterman.
The affair was the basis for the purported screenplay script.
"I feel great remorse for what I have done. I sincerely apologize to Mr. Letterman and his family; to Stephanie Birkitt and her family and everyone else that I have hurt or disappointed," Halderman said.
Shargel had also reportedly suggested that Tiger Woods' alleged payouts to women to hide his affairs showed that his client's hush-money demand was nothing new in the celebrity world.
Halderman was busted back in October for allegedly threatening to expose Letterman's affairs by selling the screenplay. Shortly after the case came to light, Letterman revealed the affairs with staffers on "The Late Show."
During the pretrial hearings, wiretap recordings were released by prosecutors where Halderman said he feared Letterman would try to kill him or set fire to his home.
"Mr. Letterman is a public figure, but like all New Yorkers he has a right to a certain degree of privacy in his personal life," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said in a statement.
Lawyers for Letterman thanked the Manhattan District Attorney and other law enforcement agencies for their handling of the matter.
"When they became involved with this case, I had complete faith that a just and appropriate result was inevitable," Letterman said in a statement read by attorney Daniel Horowitz. "On behalf of my family, I am extremely grateful for their tireless efforts.”
During the taping of “The Late Show” on Tuesday, Letterman lauded the Manhattan District Attorney’s office for its treatment of the case.
“Now, I’d never been involved in anything like this in my life, and I was concerned and full of anxiety and nervous and worried,” Letterman recounted during the taping.
“And the people in the District Attorney’s office said, ‘This will be handled professionally, this will be handled skillfully and appropriately.’ Well, the matter was resolved today, and they were exactly right — it was handled professionally, skillfully and appropriately.”
