Baltimore City State Senator Dalya Attar has been arrested and indicted on federal extortion and conspiracy charges, according to court documents obtained by FOX45 News. Attar, a Democrat representing Baltimore’s 41st District, assumed office in January after being appointed to fill a vacant seat, now facing allegations tied to an alleged extortion scheme involving abuse of her political position and coordination with others for money or favors.
The indictment alleges that Attar, 35, planted tracking and recording devices on two rivals, including capturing them in bed together in an attempt to silence them. She allegedly threatened to release the footage unless they refrained from speaking out against her publicly. The victims included a political consultant who had previously worked on Attar’s campaign but fell out with her after a disagreement. Prosecutors stated that Attar feared the consultant was “looking to screw me” and worried about negative publicity targeting her voting record.
Court documents reveal that in January 2020, the consultant stayed in an apartment owned by Kalman Finkelstein’s family. Attar’s brother and a co-conspirator allegedly broke into the unit while she was away, installing cameras disguised as smoke detectors and planting a tracking device on her car. In March 2021, Attar’s brother reportedly threatened the consultant and a married man with video exposure unless the consultant “left Dalya alone.” Later that year, in November 2021, Attar sent a message to her brother and an unnamed co-conspirator, stating, “if the video really exists, it’ll be really helpful now.”
Attar’s co-defendants, Joseph Attar and Kalman Finkelstein, were also taken into federal custody. The indictment names four unnamed co-conspirators involved in the scheme. Federal investigators have not disclosed full details of the charges or potential penalties, and no information has been released about whether Attar will resign or be suspended.
This is a developing story, with updates expected as more information becomes available.
