CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer accused of extortion was expected to appear in court on Tuesday, but the hearing was canceled due to an indictment.
Investigators charged 30-year-old Joel Medina earlier this month. An arrest warrant says Medina threatened to "send sexually explicit videos/photos of the victim to the victim's family and/or friends." The threat was made to wrongfully obtain $10,000 from the victim, according to the warrant.
He had his first court appearance for the extortion charge on Aug. 6, where he was appointed a public defender. He was indicted on that charge on Aug. 26, which transfers the case to Superior Court and cancels any pending District Court hearings. That next Superior Court trial date has not been set.
RELATED: CMPD officer threatened to send 'sexually explicit' content of victim to their family, warrant says
Medina had been with the department since February 2022, and was placed on unpaid leave in early August pending the outcome of the investigation.
Documents obtained by WCNC Charlotte show another officer suspected Medina may have been involved in the slashing of tires of two cars on Aug. 18. Medina faced two misdemeanor offenses of injury to personal property, according to a police report. In an Aug. 20 court appearance, he received a $1,000 secured bond which he has since posted.
WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with news that impacts you from the team at WCNC Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Pandora || TuneIn || Google Podcasts || iHeart
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.