Yoko Ono’s driver issued with warrant

US IMMIGRATION officials have issued a warrant to detain Yoko Ono’s driver, who is in jail on charges of trying to blackmail her for $2 million (€1.51m).

The immigration department wants to know whether Turk Koral Karsan, 50, is in America legally.

The driver, who lives in Amityville, New York, was arrested and accused of threatening to release embarrassing material about Ms Ono, the widow of Beatle John Lennon, and possibly have her killed unless she gave him $2m.

Mr Karsan’s lawyer, Robert Gottlieb, said yesterday he had assembled a bail package and hoped to get his client released immediately. However, he said, “We heard that a detainer was issued by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)”.

“The issue, apparently, is whether he is here legally,” Mr Gottlieb said. “I have told the assistant district attorney we will not post bail until we straighten out that issue.”

Barbara Thompson, spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, said Mr Karsan would not be released yesterday regardless of any bail. She said a Manhattan Criminal Court appearance for Mr Karsan today was still on.

Mr Gottlieb said Mr Karsan entered the US legally from Turkey in 1992 on a work visa. “He has worked non-stop since then to get a green card (for permanent resident status),” the lawyer said. “The question is whether that was resolved properly.”

Mr Karsan’s friends provided money for his bail on Friday. Judge Tanya Kennedy gave the district attorney’s office 72 hours to review the sources of the money to make sure it was not the proceeds of crime.

In an alleged extortion letter, Mr Karsan warned Ms Ono he had people “on standby waiting to kill her” on his orders if she crossed him, the prosecutor said.

December 8, the day Mr Karsan is accused of handing Ms Ono the extortion letter, was the 26th anniversary of John Lennon’s death.