An Indian national pleaded guilty yesterday to attempting to extort $35,000 from Gov. Linda Lingle's former chief of staff, Bob Awana.

Appearing before U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright, Rajdatta Patkar pleaded guilty to a single extortion count. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop four related extortion charges.

Patkar, 46, also agreed to cooperate with a separate, federal public corruption probe into a Saipan waste management company that Awana partially owns.

"I plead guilty," Patkar said. "I sent an e-mail to R.A. (Robert Awana) on Sept. 11, 2005, that communicated to him that I would not reveal information to anybody if he paid $35,000."

Awana resigned on June 29 after details of the extortion scheme began to surface.

People familiar with the criminal case said that Patkar threatened to expose an extramarital affair Awana had with a woman in the Philippines.

Patkar, slightly balding and dressed in a light denim shirt, dark blue pants and sneakers, said very little during yesterday's court proceeding.

His attorney, assistant federal public defender Pamela Byrne, said Patkar was looking forward to returning to his native India.

"He is sorry, he is remorseful and he feels very humble," Byrne said. "This man has never been in trouble with the law, ever for anything ... and this is really aberrant for him, very atypical."

By pleading guilty to a single count of extortion, Patkar faces up to two years in jail and a $250,000 fine.

He will likely be credited for time already served.

Patkar has been under custody at the Federal Detention Center near Honolulu International Airport since March. He also was under custody for several months in Japan while awaiting extra- dition to Hawai'i.

Patkar will likely remain under federal custody until his sentencing on Oct. 29.

Byrne declined comment about Awana's resignation and would not say how Patkar is cooperating with a separate federal investigation into Awana.

Elliot Enoki, first assistant U.S. attorney in Hawai'i, declined comment on Patkar's cooperation agreement.

Awana recently told The Advertiser that he was questioned by federal investigators about a Saipan company in which he owns a 16 percent stake.

The company, Saipan Waste Management, was awarded a five-year $9.9 million contract by Saipan's Republican governor in 2002 to operate a new landfill in Saipan. But the contract was canceled last year by Saipan's current governor due to costs.

Reach Rick Daysog at rdaysog@honoluluadvertiser.com.