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Ex-Bear Berrian Suing Over Blackberry Blackmail

Everyone hates losing their cell phones. The only thing that could be worse is if a stranger threatened to sell all the private information from your phone.

A California couple who found Bernard Berrian's Blackberry last October allegedly threatened to sell its contents to the "highest bidder" unless the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver paid them $30,000.

Attorneys for Berrian outlined the allegations in a lawsuit unsealed Thursday in federal court in Minnesota.

The complaint says Berrian left his Blackberry at an ATM in Las Vegas in October. On Jan. 4, Ron Jones and his girlfriend, Clarice Lankford, allegedly demanded $30,000, saying if Berrian didn't pay, they would sell the device to the highest bidder.

The lawsuit says they claimed to be negotiating with media outlets.

Jones said he had no comment when reached by the Associated Press. Lankford did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. STATS LLC and The Associated Press contributed to this article. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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