Cruise Blackmail Suspect Found Dead

A man who had apparently admitted his part in a plot to extort more than £500,000 from Tom Cruise for the actor's stolen wedding photos has been found dead.

Investigators said it appeared David Hans Schmidt, 47, who was under house arrest and faced up to two years in a federal prison, had committed suicide.

He was found dead at his house in Pheonix, Arizona, after police noticed a tracker placed on him had not moved and he had not checked in, said Lieutenant Anthony Lopez.

Schmidt, who was on bail, had not yet entered a guilty plea in court but he faced jail and a large fine under a plea agreement filed at a court in Los Angeles in August.

Schmidt was known for brokering deals involving compromising celebrity photos and videos.

He was arrested in July after federal authorities said a co-defendant obtained photos of Cruise's wedding to Katie Holmes in Italy last year from the event's official photographer.

In May, Schmidt had begun having repeated contact with Cruise's representatives and had threatened to release the photos if he did not receive the cash, authorities said.

Schmidt also tried to auction off Paris Hilton's diaries, along with photos of her in various stages of undress and other personal items.

They had been locked away in a Los Angeles-area storage locker until a few months ago.