The son of a Saudi sheikh who has been described as one of the wealthiest men in the world was charged in March with four counts of sexual assault after a German woman told Los Angeles authorities the heir had raped and tortured her.

Today L.A. prosecutors alleged that the story was manufactured in an attempt to extort the family of Thamer Albalwi, the 23-year-old son Sheikh Monsur Albalwi.

The younger Albalwi didn't do it, authorities said. But 33-year-old Leyla Ors, the woman who said she had been raped, alongside Emanuel Karl Hudson and Joseph Gerard Cavallo, did …
]
 … “commit extortion, conspiracy to receive a bribe and conspiracy to obstruct justice,” according to allegations aired in a statement from the L.A. County District Attorney's office.

Ors was also hit with another count, this one alleging that she offered “to receive a bribe by a witness,” the statement says.

Ors allegedly went to police with her story in March. She bolstered her tale with “physical injuries,” the D.A.'s office said.

Prosecutors allege that Hudson told Albalwi's father via a June phone call that Ors' testimony against the son would never happen if he ponied up $15 million.

The amount went up to $20 million after Cavallo spoke to the dad the same day, the D.A's office alleged. Cavallo allegedly asked the sheikh to send the money to a Swiss account.

The case against the sheikh's son was dismissed by an L.A. Superior Court judge on Friday.

The trio of alleged extortionists was arrested Thursday, but Hudson and Cavallo posted bail and are now free, prosecutors said. Ors remained in custody.

If they're successfully convicted, each suspect could face four years behind bars.

Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Dennis Romero on Twitter at @dennisjromero. Follow LA Weekly News on Twitter at @laweeklynews.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.