Skip navigation
Listen now:
NBC Sports: The Rob Buska Show

Convicted woman rips Pitino, justice system

Sypher blames verdict on coach's fame, says 'story has not come out yet'

Karen Cunagin SypherAP
Karen Cunagin Sypher was convicted Thursday of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliating against a witness. Prosecutors said Sypher demanded millions in cash, cars and a house from Louisville coach Rick Pitino to stay quiet about their one-night stand at a local restaurant in 2003.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The woman convicted of trying to extort Rick Pitino said she didn't get a fair trial because of the Louisville coach's fame and power.

Karen Cunagin Sypher told The Courier-Journal newspaper that Louisville is a small enough city for any jury to be influenced by Pitino.

"I know now there is no justice system. There is no justice," Sypher said.

Sypher was convicted Thursday of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliating against a witness. Prosecutors said Sypher demanded millions in cash, cars and a house from Pitino to stay quiet about their one-night stand at a Louisville restaurant in 2003.

Sentencing in the case is set for Oct. 27. Sypher said she was "numb" and hasn't thought about a potential prison sentence. Sypher said there's additional evidence her attorney did not use at the trial, but she would not say what it was.

"The story has not come out yet," she said.

Neither Sypher nor her attorney, James Earhart, returned several messages from The Associated Press on Friday.

After the trial, University of Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich said Pitino wouldn't be disciplined for his tryst with Sypher because there was no misconduct on university property.

Sypher blasted both Pitino and the school for not firing him.

"If he can lay his head down at night and sleep well, then all I can say to him is that he only has one person to answer to and he knows who that is - that's the good Lord above," Sypher said.

Several witnesses testified during Sypher's trial that she traded sexual favors to enlist several people to help her extort Pitino. Her ex-husband, longtime Pitino aide Tim Sypher, also testified against her.

Earhart didn't put any witnesses on the stand, but jurors heard Sypher's words via videotaped interviews with two Louisville television stations and a police interview.

Sypher said she rejected several plea agreements before trial that would have allowed her to avoid prison.

"That would mean I was guilty," she said. "I can honestly say I've never felt so calm in my life, because I finally was allowed to speak after being duct-taped over my mouth for so many years."

© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement
More news
NBC Sports
Trickle down

  DPS: Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski admitted that coaching in the Olympics extended his tenure at Duke, saying, “I wouldn’t stop coaching at Duke while I am still the National [team] coach.”

Image: Duke v Louisville
Getty Images
CBT: Coach K to remain at Duke through 2016

CBT: Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski made it official that he'll be coaching Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and he'll also be with Duke at least that long, too.

College basketball videos
Team USA prolongs Coach K's tenure at Duke
DPS: Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski joins the Dan Patrick Show to talk about his decision to return as Team USA basketball coach. Coach K admits coaching in the Olympics has extending his tenure at Duke, saying, “I wouldn’t stop coaching at Duke while I am still the National [team] coach.”

Slideshow
Northwestern State v Florida
  Three cheers for college hoops
Take a look at cheerleaders in action from around the country.

NBCSports.com

Philadelphia Phillies v Miami Marlins
Getty Images
The Week in Sports Pictures

The nation grieved for those hurt, killed and affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. After one of the suspects was caught on Friday — following a day-long lockdown and manhunt — sports returned to Boston over the weekend.