Vance deputy charged with extortion

A Vance County deputy has been indicted on extortion charges, authorities said Tuesday.

Detective Mitch Taybron Pittman was arrested last Thursday after a grand jury indicted him on two counts each of extortion and obstruction of justice. He was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Pittman works in the Vance County Sheriff's Office narcotics unit, and the indictments allege that he threatened to charge two men earlier this year unless they turned their titles to a 2007 Cadillac STS and a 2007 Infiniti G35 over to the sheriff's office.

The State Bureau of Investigation began investigating Pittman in June at the request of District Attorney Mike Waters. The case remains under investigation.