Police: Trainer bullied employer

A Corona del Mar personal trainer and his Costa Mesa attorney have been charged with attempting to extort $350,000 from a woman by threatening to spread lies about her, prosecutors announced Monday.

Michael Roberts, 44, worked as a personal trainer for the woman and her husband from 1995 to 2005, and after Roberts’ employment was terminated he barraged the woman with threats to “destroy” her by feeding false stories to the media, authorities said.

In the two years after he stopped working for the woman, Roberts is accused of making dozens of harassing phone calls to her and her friends threatening smear campaigns and a lawsuit, according to prosecutors.

Through his attorney, James Toledano, 65, Roberts asked for $350,000 in exchange for not releasing the information he claimed to have, according to prosecutors.

Roberts is charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime, one felony count of attempted extortion by threat, two misdemeanor counts of harassing phone calls and two misdemeanor counts of annoying phone calls.

Toledano is charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime and one felony count of attempted extortion by threat.

Both men are scheduled to be arraigned this morning at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

They each face maximum sentences of four years and eight months in state prison.