Las Vegas Criminal Defense Blog

A fifty-nine year old priest was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for stealing $650,000 from a Las Vegas Catholic Church. The judge also ordered the priest to avoid casinos and to get gambling addiction counseling following his incarceration. The priest will begin serving his sentence by the middle of April.

Nevada theft laws consists of several different crimes including petit larceny, grand larceny, auto-theft, robbery, larceny from a person, possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen car, and burglary. Robbery is the only theft crime where the defendant must use force or threats to carry out the stealing. Typical defenses to theft allegations include that the defendant had no intent to steal or that the property belonged to the defendant.

Penalties for violating Nevada theft laws turn on the type of theft. Shoplifting less than $250 in items is only a misdemeanor carrying a maximum six months in jail. But robbery is a felony carrying up to fifteen years in prison, and the sentence may be doubled if the defendant was armed.

For more on this story go to: http://www.lvrj.com/news/st-elizabeth-priest-mcauliffe-sentenced-to-37-months-in-prison-137297638.html

To learn more about petit larceny versus grand larceny in Nevada theft laws, watch our informational video:

Last week a sixty-seven year old disbarred lawyer pleaded guilty to forgery and violating Nevada theft law stemming from allegations that he forged judicial documents and stole more than $200,000 from clients. Sentencing is set for April, and he's currently being held at the Clark County Detention Center. He faces up to fourteen years in prison.

Nevada theft law comprises several different crimes including petty larceny, grand larceny, burglary, robbery, larceny from a person, auto-theft, possession of stolen property, and possession of a stolen vehicle. The term shoplifting can be either petty larceny or grand larceny depending on whether the value of the goods is below $250 or not. "Pick-pocketing" is the common name for larceny from a person.

The penalties for violating Nevada theft law depend on the type of theft and the value of the goods. For example, petty larceny is only a misdemeanor carrying a maximum of six months in jail. But robbery is a category B felony, potentially carrying fifteen years in prison or more if a weapon was used.

For more on this story, go to: http://www.lvrj.com/news/disbarred-lawyer-pleads-guilty-to-forgery-theft-in-las-vegas-115652394.html

This week a twenty-six year old man faces fifty years behind bars after pleading guilty to robbery of the elderly, grand larceny, and violating Nevada home invasion law for allegedly helping a friend invade an older couple’s home to steal two expensive English bull dog pups. Apparently the pups’ five-year old grandmother chased them but was run over by a car during the getaway. The man's scheduled to be sentenced in June in Washoe District Court.

Nevada home invasion law (NRS 205.067) makes it a category B felony to enter an inhabited dwelling by force and without the consent of the owner or occupant. You may still be found guilty for home invasion irrespective of whether someone is currently in the residence. Home invasion is often charged in conjunction with other crimes like trespass and burglary.

The typical sentence for breaking Nevada home invasion law is one to ten years in prison. If you already have past convictions for home invasion or burglary, the judge may not grant probation or a suspended sentence. And if the prosecutor can show you had a firearm during the alleged home invasion, the sentence range is increased from two to fifteen years.

Read more about this story at: http://www.lvrj.com/news/ex-courthouse-janitor-pleads-guilty-89670467.html.

In Virginia this week, a ranch hand pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining money by false pretences for writing bad checks to buy a million dollar mansion as well as cars and ATVs. He was originally arrested in September a few weeks after he allegedly had gone to Farmers Bank and showed them a false $5.9 million portfolio.

Here, the Nevada crime of obtaining money by false pretenses makes it illegal to knowingly obtain valuables from another person with the intent to cheat or defraud them. The valuables can be anything from money, goods, wares and chattel to rent or labor. How seriously the Nevada crime of obtaining money by false pretenses is punished depends on the value of the property that was allegedly obtained wrongfully:

If the value was less than $250, then the Nevada crime of obtaining money by false pretenses is just a misdemeanor and carries a $1,000 fine and/or up to six months in jail as well as restitution. But if the value is for $250 or more, then it’s a category B felony, carrying one to six years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000 plus restitution.

For more on this story, visit http://articles.dailypress.com/2010-03-17/news/dp-local-conman-trial-0317mar18_1_pleads-smithfield-guilty.

Last week after the Boulder City constable was arrested for burglary and false documentation, officers executed a search warrant on his home, office and storage areas, where they confiscated eighty-five firearms, badges and drug paraphernalia. Police say the constable admitted to taking firearms from his ex-girlfriend’s house in February but claimed that they belonged to him. The constable has now been charged with burglary while in possession of a firearm, grand larceny of a firearm and with breaking Nevada possession of stolen property law.

The Boulder City constable’s ex-girlfriend reportedly told police that he gave her the firearms and appointed her as reserve constable. He also allegedly gave her a deputy constable badge and ID card, which would allow her to conduct investigations and perform arrests. Law enforcement said that the ex-girlfriend was never in attendance at a Peace Office Standards and Training academy, never earned a certificate as a peace officer, and was never sworn in under oath as a peace officer. The constable is set to be arraigned this morning.

Nevada possession of stolen property law makes it a crime to knowingly possess property that you know or should know is stolen. When the property’s value is less than $250, it’s a misdemeanor and carries up to six months in jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine. If the property’s value is $250 to $2,500, it’s a category C felony, carrying a one to five year prison sentence and perhaps a $10,000 fine. And if the property is valued at $2,500 or more, it’s charged as a category B felony with one to ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. Furthermore, people convicted of breaking Nevada possession of stolen property law will be ordered to pay restitution as well.

To read more about this story, go to http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/15/85-firearms-seized-boulder-city-constable-probe/.

Mid-February, a Reno judge ordered a seventeen-year-old boy and a sixteen-year-old boy to face criminal charges as adults in relation to burglary incidents on December 10th, 2009. They were booked on counts of kidnapping, robbery with a deadly weapon on an elderly woman, burglary, grand larceny of a car, possession of a stolen vehicle, false imprisonment, and with committing the Nevada crime of possession of stolen property.

According to reports, the boys allegedly invaded a seventy-three-year-old woman’s home at 4 a.m. and stole her car, which the police spotted one of them driving later that day. After the arrest, the police linked the boys to a burglary earlier in the night, where a TV was taken. Police also claim they used guns stolen from past burglaries and that one of the boys struck the elderly woman with a rifle.

The Nevada crime of possession of stolen property makes it unlawful for someone to knowingly possess property that they know or should have known is stolen. If the value of the property is less than $250, it may be charged as a misdemeanor and carries up to six months in jail and/or up to a $1000 fine. If the value of the property ranges from $250 up to $2,500, it may be charged as a category C felony and carries a one to five year prison sentence and maybe a $10,000 fine. And for property valuing $2,500 or more, it’s a category B felony carrying one to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. In addition, anyone convicted of the Nevada crime of possession of stolen property will be ordered to pay restitution.

Read more about this story here: http://www.rgj.com/article/20100212/NEWS18/100212031/1321/news

Last week in Churchill County District Court, U.S. Army soldier Jeremiah Roth pleaded guilty to breaking Nevada grand larceny law for having stolen upwards of $3,000 from a Taco Bell while he was employed there. The judge sentenced him to one to three years in prison.

Roth previously had cases in Las Vegas as well as Carson City for the crimes of burglary and possession of stolen property, but they were dismissed. He currently owes more than ten thousand dollars in back child support. He’s also facing charges for forgery and theft in Georgia, where he allegedly fled to after stealing the money.

Nevada grand larceny law makes it a crime to intentionally steal another person’s property valued at $250 or more. If the value is less than $250, then it’s only petit larceny, a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail. If the value is between $250 and $2,500, then it’s a class C felony, carrying one to five years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. If the value is equal to or greater than $2,500, the possible maximum prison term is increased to ten years.

As the economy continues to flounder in Nevada, crimes against its casinos have gone up. This year, gaming board agents have arrested nearly four hundred people for crimes associated with gambling and casinos when last year, there were less than three hundred. Las Vegas criminal defense lawyer Michael Becker says, “If the numbers are true, then it’s very strange because law enforcement has been given increased funding to fight theft crimes.”

One example of a recent casino crime-related arrest concerned a man who allegedly took advantage of a Silverton slot machine glitch, which permitted him to multiply by ten the cash he inserted into it. But, as Las Vegas criminal defense lawyer Michael Becker explains, “A lot of these crimes are allegedly being committed by casino employees themselves.” Recently, Planet Hollywood supervisors were arrested for stealing another person’s winnings after falsifying payout forms, a Caesars Palace ticket writer was arrested for stolen chips, and a River Palms craps dealer allegedly pocketed chips as well.

Continue reading "Nevada Casino Crimes Up as Economy Goes Down" »

The LVMPD are reporting a substantial drop in murder, burglaries, and auto theft in Las Vegas. In addition, there’s been a five-to-six percent drop in robberies, larcenies and aggravated assaults.

Metro Deputy Chief Gary Schofield credits this decrease in crime in part to neighborhood watch groups and similar programs: "We feel that it's been a fantastic effort between us and the community working jointly in the last year or so just to bring crime rates down." He goes on to say that little precautions on everyone’s part make a big difference in the long run: "Something as simple as auto theft [in Las Vegas], that took a joint effort between us, the media, the auto insurance and the citizens out there implementing programs like ‘Stop - Lock Your Car Up.' Something really simple, but has a huge impact.”

These latest statistics come from police crime reports, which are then forwarded to the FBI.

According to statistics just released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the majority of vehicles stolen in Nevada are at least ten years old. Of the top ten cars most frequently stolen, seven of them were made in the 1990’s, with the 1992 Honda Accord taking the first place spot.

Bob Feldman of the Nevada Insurance Council explained, “People tend to think that brand-new high-priced vehicles are the most likely to be stolen, but the data just doesn’t support that. Car thieves target the older cars that can be broken down and sold for parts instead.”

Meanwhile, Las Vegas has dropped from first place among U.S. cities for highest auto theft rights down to seventh place between 2006 and 2008: Per capita, now there are 732 auto thefts per 100,000 residents as opposed to 1,256 thefts three years ago. Authorities credit the police department’s Vehicle Investigations Project for Enforcement and Recovery (VIPER) program.

Continue reading "Revealing Statistics of Stolen Vehicles in Nevada" »

The Nevada Gaming Control Board is warning patrons participating in casino reward programs to keep track of their loyalty points because some casino employees are committing theft in Las Vegas by stealing them.

Customers who frequent various hotels and casinos may rack up loyalty points by booking rooms, eating at restaurants, gambling, etc., which they then may use to redeem free casino services or merchandise in the future. However, since employees have easy access to the system, some are deducting points for their own personal use.

Employees caught for this kind of theft in Las Vegas face such charges as computer fraud and embezzlement, which may carry several years of prison time.