Ex-Teamsters Official Pleads Guilty In 'Top Chef' Case

BOSTON (AP) — A former local Teamsters official has pleaded guilty to an attempted extortion charge for intimidating the staff and crew of the "Top Chef" reality TV show.

Mark Harrington entered his guilty plea Thursday in an agreement with federal prosecutors in Boston that spares him any jail time and calls for two years of probation.

Harrington told a judge he was merely trying to get jobs for union members.

Five members of Local 25 were indicted last year. The indictment said they demanded that union members be hired as drivers, then threatened and harassed the crew for the show's non-union production company.

The Teamsters were accused of yelling profanities and racial and homophobic slurs at host Padma Lakshmi and the crew during filming at a restaurant.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15.

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