UGA employee accused of extortion

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A UGA employee is accused of trying to bilk money from students in exchange for covering up alleged computer violations, according to university police.

Dorin Lucian Dehelean, 37, was arrested Monday evening and charged with theft by extortion, according to police.

In January, a female student reported that Dehelean had accused her of violating copyright laws while using a university computer. The student said Dehelean asked for money in order to clear her name, according to campus police.

Dehelean was employed in IT security support, according to police. He reportedly was in charge of monitoring illegal music downloads on university computers. Dehelean's position paid nearly $50,000, according to state records.

Any other students or faculty members who may have been approached by Dehelean are asked to contact UGA police.