The woman accused of trying to extort money from Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino was charged yesterday with retaliating against him by falsely claiming he raped her.
A federal grand jury in Louisville brought four new criminal charges against Karen Cunagin Sypher, including retaliation against a witness.
The FBI, Louisville police and prosecutors have said there was no basis for her rape allegations. She accused the former Knick coach of raping her in a criminal complaint filed after she was indicted in May on charges of demanding money from him.
The grand jury also added two charges of intent to extort, and a second count of lying to the FBI.
Pitino told cops he had a consensual sexual encounter with Sypher in 2003.
She has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of trying to extort money from Pitino and lying to the FBI.
Calls to lawyers for Sypher and Pitino weren’t immediately returned.