THE BRONX — The Russian woman who accused former Gov. Eliot Spitzer of attacking her has been indicted on charges of grand larceny and forgery, according to the Bronx District Attorney's Office.
Svetlana Travis Zakharova, 26, is accused of extorting Spitzer out of almost $400,000 between March 2014 and Oct. 11 by threatening to go public with their personal relationship if he did not give her the money, the Bronx DA's Office said.
She has also been accused forging the signature of New Jersey businessman Paul Nippes in a $18,000 scam where she used his identity to get leases for Manhattan apartments and turn them into brothels, sources said.
She's additionally accused of attempted grand larceny for trying to shakedown the businessman for $5,000 by threatening to reveal her relationship with him.
Zakharova had accused Spitzer of choking her at the Plaza Hotel in February but later stopped cooperating with the investigation and left for Russia.
She was arrested on Oct. 11 after reentering the United States at JFK Airport and appeared before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon on Tuesday, but the Bronx District Attorney's Office is handling the case after Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. recused himself.
Bail for Zakharova was continued at $1 million, and she is due back in court on Dec. 6, according to the Bronx DA's Office.
“This defendant allegedly enriched herself by a pattern of thievery and deception," Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement. "These crimes will not be tolerated.”
