LA Radio: 'Piolin' Sues Staff For Extortion

Eddie Sotelo

Spanish-language radio star Eduardo "Piolin" Sotelo has filed a lawsuit against six former staff members who worked on his canceled Univision Radio program, claiming the group banded together to try to extort $4.9 million from him.

Accortding to the LA Times, Sotelo claims to be a victim of a shake-down by former employees who allegedly demanded a big payday in exchange for taking their Univision workplace secrets "to the grave," according to the civil lawsuit filed Monday by Sotelo's lawyers in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The suit seeks general damages and punitive damages “in an amount sufficient to punish defendants and to deter them from engaging in similar conduct in the future,” and legal costs.

An attorney representing the six former colleagues released a statement Monday afternoon saying the group will be filing their own lawsuit against Sotelo. He rejected Sotelo's lawsuit as lacking merit.

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Before joining Sotelo's crew, the suit claims, most of the group held low-level jobs outside of radio -- working as a fast-food server, a bakery delivery man, a warehouse employee, a medical waste hauler and a copywriter. But after going to work on Sotelo's popular radio show, the employees were well compensated and able to rub elbows with the likes of President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and entertainer Jennifer Lopez, who were guests on the show.

"This case arises from the defendants' ingratitude, unmitigated greed and desire to extract from [Sotelo] some perceived revenge and an undeserved monetary windfall," the lawsuit said.

Last month, Sotelo lost his radio program on Univision after a call-screener and performer on the show complained to Univision that Sotelo had created a hostile work environment.  The employee, Alberto "Beto" Cortez, alleged that Sotelo sexually harassed him over a three-year period.

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