A Bismarck couple accused of extorting $30,000 from a Bismarck man by threatening to publish recordings of him engaged in sexual acts has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge.

Tammy Jo Martin, 43, and Tom Paul Martin, 44, entered the not guilty pleas to South Central District Judge Donald Jorgensen on Monday.

The Martins have been charged with Class B felony conspiracy to commit theft of property. They are slated to appear in court again on June 2 and are free upon posting $10,000 cash or surety bonds.

According to a complaint signed Tuesday by Bismarck Police Detective Mark Gaddis, the couple is accused of a conspiracy that involved engaging a Bismarck man in sexual acts, presenting him later with audio and video recordings of the acts and demanding $30,000 to avoid publication of the recordings.

The complaint says the man paid the Martins $30,000 with a money order.

The offense allegedly occurred between July 1, 2006, and Sept. 5, 2006, but was not reported to Bismarck police until 2007.

Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Lloyd Suhr, who is prosecuting the case, said at an earlier hearing that the man first reported the allegations to the state attorney general's office, which referred him to the state's attorney. Then the case was sent to local law enforcement for investigation.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@bismarcktribune.com.)