ASTORIA — A man pleaded guilty this week to bullying business owners into paying him for "protection," federal prosecutors said.
Denis Nikolla, 35, and two others — including a former Staten Island NYPD officer — forced a number of business owners to hand over money, threatening the victims with physical violence if they refused, officials said.
In one case, he threatened to beat up a man in front of his wife and kids, and caused another victim to flee the country out of fear, according to prosecutors.
Over the course of five months in 2013, the trio demanded payments totaling $24,000 from the owner of a restaurant in Astoria, telling the victim to fork over the funds for opening the business "in our neighborhood," prosecutors said.
At one point, Nikolla chased the victim down the street at gunpoint to make him pay up, officials said.
He pulled a similar scheme on two Queens nightclub owners in 2012 and 2013, demanding $200 a week from each in exchange for "protection." After one owner refused, Nikolla stuck a gun to his ribs and threatened to come to his house and beat him in front of his wife and children, prosecutors said.
The three men also demanded payments of $1,000 a week from the owner of two Astoria social clubs in 2013, causing the victim to go into hiding and eventually flee the country for a time to escape their threats.
Nikolla pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of extortion conspiracy, one count of threatening physical violence in furtherance of an extortion plan, and one count of brandishing a firearm, prosecutors said.
He faces at least seven years and up to life in prison if convicted.
Besnik Llakatura, the former NYPD officer, pleaded guilty to extortion and other charges in December. A third co-defendent, Redinel Dervishaj, is set to be tried later this month, officials said.
His attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
