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Posted on Wed, Jun. 15, 2005

'Bumblebee' feels sting of blackmail conviction

He calls himself the bumblebee, but on Tuesday it was Conrad J. Braun who got stung by a Johnson County jury.

The 55-year-old California man was found guilty of a felony charge of blackmail. Sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 2.

The case stemmed from a 2003 letter Braun sent to the husband of his former wife, threatening to expose him as a child abuser unless he agreed to stay away from members of the Braun family.

Braun's attorney, Bob Thomas, argued that Braun's actions were not criminal. Thomas said it was a civil matter, and Braun's letter constituted an offer to settle to a civil suit.

The crime of blackmail is defined in part under Kansas law as compelling someone to do something against their will by threatening to communicate accusations that would subject them to "public ridicule, contempt or degradation."

Thomas said he would appeal the verdict.

At a pretrial hearing last year, Braun wore a bumblebee costume to demonstrate what he said was a sting operation against him by prosecutors. He did not wear the costume at this week's trial, but on Tuesday he wore a shirt with black and yellow horizontal stripes.

He also has demonstrated outside the courthouse in Olathe and has a Web site with images of himself in the bumblebee costume "buzzing" around the heads of court officials.

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To reach Tony Rizzo, Johnson County courts reporter, call (816) 234-7713 or send e-mail to trizzo@kcstar.com

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