May 10 (UPI) — Wes Edens, the billionaire co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and an owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, was the target of a billion-dollar extortion scheme allegedly perpetrated by an ex-lover, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

A spokesman for Edens, 64, confirmed to the newspaper that the financier is the unnamed alleged victim in a federal indictment brought against Changli “Sophia” Luo of New York City.

Edens, one of world’s most successful global investment management firm leaders with Fortress, has developed and owned businesses in real estate, transportation, infrastructure, health care, financial services, media and entertainment.

He is also a high-profile sports team owner, including the Bucks and soccer club Aston Villa of the English Premier League. He is credited turning the Bucks from a perennial cellar dweller into a champion squad over a five-year span, culminating in the 2021 NBA championship.

But he also fell victim to a lurid alleged “sextortion” scheme, his spokesman confirmed to the WSJ, admitting the Edens is the unnamed “Victim 1” cited an indictment filed last year in Manhattan federal court against Luo.

The indictment reportedly accuses her of trying to extort Victim 1 of more than $1 billion by threatening to release videos and photos of them engaged in sex. Prosecutors alleged Luo also threatened to contact the victim’s family members and business partners in a threat to destroy his fortune if he did not pay up.

According to the indictment, Luo was arrested June 14 at JFK International Airport as she tried to board a flight to China, the New York Post reported.

“Mr. Edens will be making no comment on the case as the indictment speaks for itself with respect to the charges against the defendant,” his spokesman told the Journal. “Mr. Edens expects to testify under oath at the upcoming trial.”

MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels

Mostly sunny skies with partly sunny skies in the afternoon. There is a slight chance for a few sprinkles, but most areas remain dry. Highs near 60F on Sunday.
Patchy frost is possible again Sunday night into Monday morning as low temps inland can reach the lower 30s.
Cooler on Monday with easterly winds- low 50s near the lake to upper 50s inland.
A big boost in temperatures on Tuesday in the low 70s associated with a clipper system will bring the next chance of rain and a few storms.

Today:    Mostly Sunny. Slight chance sprinkles.
High:     60°
Wind:     NW 5-15

Tonight:  Mostly Clear. Patchy frost.
Low:      38°
Wind:     N 5

Monday:   53 LAKE. Mostly sunny.
High:     57°
Wind:     E 5-10

Tuesday:  Chance storms. Breezy.
AM Low:   39°                   High:  71°
Wind:     SW 10-25

Wednesday:Partly sunny.
AM Low:   46°                   High:  59°
Wind:     NW 5-15

Thursday: Mostly Sunny. Slight chance sprinkles.
AM Low:   42°                   High:  64°
Wind:     S 5-10

Friday:   Chance of Rain
AM Low:   47°                   High:  72°
Wind:     SW 5-15
 

6-day planner

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The Milwaukee Brewers shut out the New York Yankees in a 6-0 victory on Friday night, and Jacob Misiorowski was dominated at a historic level. 

In the first two innings of Friday night’s game, Misiorowski threw eight of the 10 fastest pitches ever by a starting pitcher. Of those eight, seven are now the fastest pitches ever thrown by a starting pitcher, according to Codify Baseball. 

Misiorowski’s velocity has been a major topic of discussion ever since he made his debut last season. He lights up the radar gun early in games, but usually sees his velocity drop as the game goes on. However, in the fifth inning, he was able to throw a 103 mph fastball to Ryan McMahon. He also threw a 102.7 mph fastball to Cody Bellinger in the sixth inning. 

Misiorowski leads all of baseball in strikeouts, notching his 70th strikeout of the season in the sixth inning of Friday’s game. Misiorowski has a 2.45 ERA on the season and had 11 strikeouts against the Yankees. The 60 fastest pitches thrown by a starting pitcher this season all belong to the Brewers ace. 

It was Misiorowski’s first time facing the Yankees, and it was not just fans who were left in awe. Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ No. 6 prospect, made his MLB debut on Friday night and felt happy to just foul a pitch off against the flamethrowing righty.  

“I’ve never seen pitches that hard in my life,” Jones said after the game, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. “To foul off a couple is pretty great, so I’ll take that for now.” 

Misiorowski’s teammate, Sal Frelick, was also in disbelief when Misiorowski kept touching triple digits late in the game. 

“I kept looking up at the velo after every pitch as he got deep,” Frelick said per McCalvy. “I couldn’t believe it.” 

Misiorowski picked a great night to showcase his best stuff. CC Sabathia was in the house to be inducted into the Brewers Wall of Honor, and he gave Misiorowski a glowing endorsement before the game. 

“I love Misiorowski,” said Sabathia, per McCalvy. “I think he’s going to be a great pitcher. 

“Honestly, he reminds me of myself as a young pitcher.” 

If Misiorowski can become the type of player Sabathia was, he will be breaking records for years to come. He has played his best in big games so far in his career, but he is still only 24 and getting better with every start. 

He credited adrenaline to his sustained velocity on Friday, so it makes sense that he has his best stuff in big games. 

Photo: Milwaukee Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)