NEW YORK, NY February 07, 2008 —A former superintendent of the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan has been indicted on charges of extortion and bribery. WNYC's Marc Garber reports.

State officials have charged that James Jackson demanded thousands of dollars from firms that wanted to use the site for events, including Marc Jacobs’ fashion shows.

The Armory at 25th Street and Lexington Avenue, is currently being used for Fashion Week events.

Jackson, an employee of the State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, was arraigned yesterday on a 31-count indictment that charged him with taking more than $30,000 in cash bribes and goods.

Jackson resigned from his post after his arrest and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. His attorney, Alan Abramson, declined comment.

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said the public had the right to pay a fair price for using a state space and should not accept attempts to extort more money. For WNYC, I'm Marc Garber.