AP

The former basketball player who tried to extort $1 million from Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III will spend the next year and a half behind bars.

Per the Associated Press, 26-year-old Richard Hurd was sentenced to 18 months in federal custody. He also was fined $1,000.

“I messed up, and I’d like to apologize to my family,” Hurd said in court on Wednesday. “I’ve embarrassed myself and them as well.”

Hurd contacted Griffin’s agent and said that, unless Griffin paid Hurd $1 million, Hurd would provide the media with information that would damage Griffin’s reputation. Because most of the court documents have been sealed, the details remain unclear.

When the arrest was made, we reported that the situation involved nothing illegal or scandalous on the part of Griffin.

Extortion attempts are made often against pro athletes. The person committing the crime usually doesn’t realize it’s illegal, and the information truly is potentially damaging to the player, prompting him to pay the money and not report the incident to the authorities.