Derek Fanning is a sub-editor for gossip column Citysmear.com and the mastermind of a blackmail plot that escalated to him killing a witness, Megan Kerik.
History[]
Fanning was assigned with Dennis Di Palma, his editor whose girlfriend, Megan Kerik, worked as a freelance columnist. Kerik was previously exploited by her last boss, talk show host Vanessa Carville, with substance and sexual abuse, ad she contacted another victim, Sara Bradley, to get Carville exposed in Citysmear to take her down and stop her from degrading and traumatizing women at the studio. Di Palma was ready and rolled with the story, but Fanning, wanting more, made a blackmail scheme to extort Carville, making sure his accomplices didn't turn on him by using other leverage.
Fanning had Di Plama and Megan, the latter not involved in the extortion itself, fake a video of Di Palma "strangling" Megan, while Fanning was holding them at gunpoint and recording them, then sent them to the Cayman Islands to open an offshore account for the blackmail payout. Fanning sent Di palma to drop off a package at Carville's door with evidence of her crimes, threatening to publish a book with the material if she didn't play three million US dollars to the offshore account. When Megan found out and was ready to call the cops or Carville, Fanning strangled her and left her off a highway. He then stole Megan's and Sara's computers for more material, also threatening Di Palma with framing him for murder with the video if he reneged on the plan or went to the authorities.
Fanning and Di Palma were question at the CitySmear office building, with Fanning beside Di Palma to make sure he didn't sell out. When Megan's report led to Sara, who then led detectives to Carville, the blackmailing scheme was revealed, as she directly went to McCoy to report it. After a surreptitious DNA test excluded her for murder, a sting was set up, but Di Palma failed to call on the time scheduled because of being shaking from Fanning's threats. When they met in a park instead, after a heated confrontation, Di Palma was arrested. He tried to save his own skin by claiming innocence as they didn't have him on murder, but when Fanning collected the pay from the account while Di Palma was in prison, it revealed he was involved behind the scenes.
He tried to anonymously send the video to the cops to frame Di Palma, but his reflection was in it as proof of his involvement, even though his face couldn't be scene. Di Palma revealed Fanning's primary responsibility, but he and Carville refused to testify about the extortion "daisy chain" to save their careers. So Carville was threatened with drug charges if she didn't turn in Di Palma, which made Di Palma take a reduced sentence plea to ensure Fanning got the highest convictions and penalties. (L&O: "Blackmail")
Known Victims[]
- Vanessa Carville (blackmailed with her sex and drug offenses; attempted to extort out of $3 million)
- Sara Bradley (stole her laptop and evidence on Carville)
- Dennis Di Palma (attempted to frame with a fake snuff film; previously held at gunpoint and blackmailed with the video)
- Megan Kerik (manually strangled; stole her laptop and evidence on Carville; previously held at gunpoint)