Fabrizio Corona, Italy’s most famous paparazzo, was reportedly sighted in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday 22 January after a Europe-wide arrest warrant was issued for him.
Corona, 38, was convicted of extortion on Friday, 18 January for demanding a bribe from French-Argentine soccer star David Trezeguet in return for withholding publication of potentially embarrassing photos. He was sentenced to five years behind bars but he did not show up in court for the sentencing.
His flight from the court’s jurisdiction will add an extra 34 months to his prison sentence, and Italian media reported Tuesday that Corona had been spotted in the Dominican resort of Casa de Campo.
Corona, who calls himself the “King of Paparazzi,” has long denied blackmailing celebrities. He has said he simply offers them a chance to buy the compromising photos for the same price he would earn selling them to a magazine.
Corona explained his business model saying, “I am like a Robin Hood in reverse. Robin Hood took from the rich to give to the poor, but I take from the rich to give to myself.”
www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/arrest-warrant-italys-king-paparazzi-414241