Extortion charge dropped against controversial Cape Breton property seller

A controversial Cape Breton man is no longer facing an extortion charge after an immigrant couple who complained about him to RCMP left Nova Scotia and went back to Germany.

Frank Eckhardt of Grand River, Richmond County, was charged with extortion a year ago after Dirk Westerhoff and Sandra Schmid told RCMP he had threatened to have their work visas revoked over a business deal.

Eckhardt, also a German immigrant who runs F.E. Property Sales and markets land to Europeans, is also facing 13 weapons charges including unsafe storage and transportation of firearms and possession of unlicensed handguns.

He has previously been in the news after several European immigrants claimed he was selling overpriced land and distributing World-War-II-era Nazi material.

Westerhoff and Schmid bought a rural home from Eckhardt last year, moved to Canada with their young son and had been leasing space from him in St. Peters, but they eventually decided the rent was too high and wanted out.

Eckhardt allegedly threatened to have the couple sent back to Germany unless they paid him around $25,000 or handed over the gym equipment in their fitness business.

His trial on the extortion charge was scheduled to go ahead in Port Hawkesbury provincial court on Tuesday, but Eckhardt was not present and the prosecution entered no evidence.

Crown attorney John MacDonald said the couple has since moved back to Germany and the case fell apart.

"The Crown attempted to bring an application to get their evidence by video, but that was not granted by the court and as such, they have absented themselves and we are not proceeding with the case," he said.

The case was then dismissed.

Eckhardt's lawyer declined to comment.

Meanwhile, RCMP investigated a report of shots fired near the Westerhoff-Schmid property not long after the extortion charge was laid last December.

Schmid said the couple were out on their property looking for a Christmas tree with their five-year-old when they heard two shots coming from the property next door, which is owned by Eckhardt.

RCMP were unable to find any witnesses who could confirm Eckhardt's involvement, but after talking with Schmid, Westerhoff and others, RCMP executed a search warrant at Eckhardt's home property in Grand River.

Court documents show RCMP seized five handguns, four rifles and two shotguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and $137,250 in cash.

According to RCMP, Eckhardt's handguns included three registered, restricted firearms, for which he has a licence, and two muzzleloader percussion pistols that were unregistered and did not belong to him.

Eckhardt has not yet made a plea on the weapons charges. Some of them are under discussion between the Crown, the RCMP and Eckhardt's lawyer, MacDonald said.

Some of the charges raise the question of whether the offences should be listed as careless storage and use of a firearm or storage and use contrary to regulations, he said.

The weapons charges are due back in court later this month.

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