The guilty plea is the latest in a long-running legal battle between former friend Ronald Bell, 56, and Pastor, who is now the head coach of the Georgia Tech men’s basketball team.

Bell and his ex-fiancé Jennifer Pendry were indicted on Aug. 24 on charges of conspiracy to send interstate threats, conspiracy to extort property, and attempted extortion.

Bell pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit blackmail on Wednesday, and Pendry pleaded guilty to the same charge on Feb. 22, according to a news release from the Georgia federal attorney’s office.

“Defendant attempted to extort Georgia Tech and seriously damage the reputation of the college coach with false allegations of sexual assault,” U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said in a release. “By his guilty plea, he pleaded guilty to lies and criminal acts and will now face the consequences of his crimes.”

Bell’s sentencing is scheduled for June 8 at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash. He faces up to five years in prison and his $250,000 fine, according to court documents.

According to the indictment, from October 2017 to February 2018, Bell and Pendry conspired against Georgia Tech and Pastner and attempted extortion.

The star previously said Pastor filed a lawsuit against Bell and Pendry in Pima County Superior Court in January 2018, saying the couple defamed him after months of unsuccessful blackmail and blackmail attempts. Bell and Pendry countersued Pastner, alleging that the coach coerced Pendry into sexual intercourse in a Houston hotel room in February 2016 and touched her on several other occasions. Although she had not contacted local police, she reported the allegations to Oro Valley Police in May 2019.

Pastner has never been charged with a crime. An independent investigation paid by Georgia Tech in 2018 was the first to clear allegations of sexual misconduct. The couple’s claims were further questioned when key witnesses in their lawsuit against Pastor recanted.

According to a news release, Bell also demanded money from Georgia Tech in exchange for not reporting the alleged sexual assault.

He told a representative, “This is going to be very ugly. GT has made no effort…to solve this amicably…I think this has to be ugly.” According to the news release, they tried to resolve this without damaging GT’s reputation.

In July 2021, an Oro Valley judge found Bell guilty of six misdemeanor counts related to the allegations against Pastner. He was convicted of his two counts each of soliciting influence over a witness and attempting to tamper with a witness. He was also found guilty of false information and promoting fraud, schemes, and practices. Bell appeals these beliefs.

Pastor settled the lawsuit against the couple in August 2019.

Keri Farley, Special Agent for the FBI in Atlanta, said in a news release: “These defendants sought to damage the reputation of the organization and coaches for their own financial gain. The FBI will not stop bringing people who attempt to commit this type of fraud to justice.”