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Rick Pitino accuser moved from prison to halfway house

Rick Pitino accuser moved from prison to halfway house

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A woman imprisoned for trying to extort money from University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino is now in a halfway house.

Fifty-six-year-old Karen Cunagin Sypher was sentenced to seven years and three months in 2011 for lying to the FBI, retaliating against a witness and extortion for trying to force Pitino to give her money in exchange for her silence on allegations that he raped her.

Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Stengel ruled that the rape allegations were without merit.

Media outlets report that the U.S. Bureau of Prisons locator shows Sypher is now assigned to Nashville's Residential Reentry management field office, which runs halfway houses in several cities, including Louisville. Sypher's exact location hasn't been released.

Pitino hasn't commented on the matter.

The Associated Press