Federal prosecutors have charged Maryland State Sen. Dalya Attar in a disturbing blackmail scandal involving an alleged plot to secretly film and threaten two of her political critics. The newly unsealed indictment accuses Attar, her brother Joseph “Yossi” Attar, and Baltimore Police Officer Kalman Finkelstein of using hidden cameras to record an intimate encounter and then leveraging the footage to silence dissent.
According to the 20-page indictment, the trio face charges of conspiracy, extortion, illegal wiretapping, and violations of the Travel Act. Prosecutors allege Attar targeted a former campaign consultant, identified as Victim 1, who had supported her political rivals after working on her 2018 campaign. Victim 2, who was romantically involved with Victim 1 and married at the time, was also targeted.
Investigators say the defendants planted hidden cameras disguised as smoke detectors and installed a tracking device in the victims’ apartment. The footage, later reviewed by the group, allegedly captured the pair in bed together. Prosecutors claim Attar then sought to use the recording as leverage, saying in a WhatsApp message, “We have a very easy … simple way to get her to just shut up and leave us alone. … She’s worried about her kids’ shidduchim.”
Attar allegedly added, “I’m not saying we leak this anywhere or ever do that … but I’m saying we warn her … ‘If you go ahead and screw with me, we’re going to leak it.’” Prosecutors say her brother later confronted one of the victims, threatening, “I have hours of footage of you in bed … I’ll share this video with everyone you know.”
Authorities say the intimidation campaign continued through 2022, aimed at protecting Attar’s political career. Attar’s office declined to comment. The charges carry potential sentences totaling several decades in prison.
