Maryland State Senator and Baltimore Police Officer Indicted in Extortion and Wiretapping Scheme

In a significant development affecting the political landscape of Maryland, a recently released federal indictment reveals charges against State Senator Dalya Attar (D), her brother Joseph J. Attar, and Baltimore City Police Officer Kalman G. Finkelstein. According to the indictment filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the three individuals are accused of participating in a conspiracy to extort and harass a political consultant, identified as Victim 1, by illegally obtaining and threatening to release compromising audio and video recordings.

The alleged conspiracy, which ran from January 2020 to July 2022, involved a scheme to prevent Victim 1 from negatively impacting Dalya Attar’s political campaigns or working for opposing candidates. The indictment details a series of actions taken by the defendants, including placing a tracking device on Victim 1’s vehicle and installing covert recording devices in an apartment where Victim 1 stayed. These devices allegedly captured intimate moments between Victim 1 and another individual, Victim 2.

Dalya Attar, who has held positions as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Baltimore City and a member of the Maryland House of Delegates before her recent appointment to the State Senate for Legislative District 41 in Baltimore, is accused of orchestrating aspects of the plan. Her brother, Joseph J. Attar, who reportedly assisted with her 2022 campaign, and Kalman G. Finkelstein, a sworn law enforcement officer who also assisted with her campaign, are named as co-conspirators. The indictment asserts that Finkelstein provided information about Victim 1’s travel and use of a vehicle and apartment, facilitating the surveillance.

The indictment outlines how the defendants allegedly used the obtained recordings to extort Victim 1 and, through Victim 1, pressure Victim 2. Threatening messages were sent via interstate electronic communications, including WhatsApp, with the intent to coerce Victim 1 into ceasing any political opposition to Dalya Attar. The accusations suggest that the defendants leveraged the private nature of the recordings, targeting Victim 1’s concern for her daughters’ marriages and social standing within the Orthodox Jewish community, referencing the “shidduchim” system and “shadchans.” Shidduchim is a system of matchmaking in which members of the Orthodox Jewish community are introduced to each other for the purposes of marriage, and a shadachan is a professional matchmaker.

Specific acts detailed in the indictment include the alleged procurement and installation of recording devices, the obtaining and review of video footage, and numerous communications between the defendants via WhatsApp and other electronic means. These communications, some of which were allegedly deleted to avoid detection, form the basis of the conspiracy and extortion charges.

The indictment also alleges the use of interstate travel and communication facilities to further the unlawful activity of extortion, as well as the unlawful interception and disclosure of wire, oral, and electronic communications.

The charges include conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, extortion via interstate communications, interception and disclosure of wire, oral, or electronic communications, and violations of the Travel Act. The indictment specifies that Dalya Attar, Joseph J. Attar, and Kalman G. Finkelstein knowingly and willfully combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with each other and others to commit these offenses.

The alleged actions taken by the defendants could have significant implications for public trust in elected officials and law enforcement. Residents of Maryland will be monitoring the legal proceedings closely as they unfold. As always, indictments are not a finding of guilt, and the accused are innocent until proven guilty.

Associated documents for this story are available in our Public Information Archive.

Article by Ken Buckler, based upon information from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

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