Robert Telles sentenced for murdering RJ reporter Jeff German

The brother of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German spoke calmly on Wednesday, before a judge decided how long former Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles will spend in prison until he is eligible for parole for killing the journalist.

“We have a lot of anxiety about the future safety of our family, and the children of our family, if Robert Telles were to be released after just 20 years of incarceration,” Jay German told the judge, as he described how his family has coped since the murder of the family’s leader.

District Judge Michelle Leavitt sentenced Telles to 28 years to life in prison for killing German in September 2022 — the maximum sentence she could impose. Because Telles has spent two years in jail since his arrest, the earliest he could be released from prison is in 26 years, if he is granted parole.

In August, a jury found Telles guilty of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon against a victim 60 or older, for killing German over articles the journalist wrote about his conduct as an elected official. German had reported on allegations that Telles created a toxic work environment within the county office and carried on an affair with a staffer.

Jurors sentenced Telles to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 20 years for the first-degree murder charge. But Leavitt gave him additional time behind bars for the enhancements for murder with a deadly weapon and murder against a victim 60 or older.

The judge also ordered him to pay $23,357 in restitution to German’s family.

‘We’ll never forget Jeff’

“There is relief in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s offices because Robert Telles finally is headed to prison, hopefully for the rest of his life,” Review-Journal Executive Editor Glenn Cook said. “His steadfast refusal to accept responsibility or show a hint of remorse for the barbaric murder of Jeff German should ensure he is never paroled. We’ll never forget Jeff. His killing remains an immeasurable loss for his family, friends, colleagues and community, and for journalism itself.”

National Press Club President Emily Wilkins said in a statement that the sentencing sends a “strong message” to those who would consider using violence to silence the work of journalists.

“Jeff German was a legendary investigative reporter,” she said. “His loss is significant for the Las Vegas community and for the profession of journalism. Law enforcement and the criminal justice system must provide swift and certain justice whenever there is violence or the threat of violence against journalists.”

Telles did not express remorse for killing German during Wednesday’s sentencing hearing. He stood in a dark blue Clark County Detention Center uniform, staring at prosecutors as they addressed the judge. He turned towards German’s family when the judge asked if he would like to address the court, and said that he expressed his “deepest condolences” to the family.

“I understand the desire to seek justice and to have somebody accountable for this, but I did not kill Mr. German,” Telles said.

Telles’ attorney, Robert Draskovich, argued for the judge to add a one- to 10-year enhancement onto his life sentence, which would have made him eligible for parole in at least 19 years. He argued that Telles had no criminal history and that the jury gave him the opportunity to be released from prison, instead of sentencing him to life without the possibility of parole.

“I’m going to urge the court to allow the parole board a bit more discretion,” Draskovich told the judge.

The judge also granted a motion to allow Draskovich to withdraw as Telles’ attorney after the sentencing was over. Draskovich said that he withdrew “on good terms” but that he was only hired for the trial.

Telles plans to appeal his conviction, Draskovich said.

‘A long, long time in prison’

Telles’ stance from the beginning of the case has been that he is innocent, Draskovich told reporters after the hearing.

“His statement could have been much worse today,” he said. “It was good for him that he expressed remorse of Mr. German’s passing, although obviously he didn’t take responsibility of it, which again, is his right.”

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told reporters that he was not surprised that Telles did not take responsibility. During trial, Telles claimed he was framed for German’s murder and alleged there was a vast conspiracy, involving the police and the district attorney’s office, to pin the crime on him.

Wolfson said he believes justice has been served in the case.

“We got what we wanted,” Wolfson said. “We got a life sentence, we got max on the enhancement, and he’s going to spend a long, long time in prison.”

During the hearing, prosecutors argued for Telles to receive the maximum enhancement to his sentence. Chief Deputy District Attorney Pamela Weckerly said that Telles extensively planned German’s murder, using “taxpayer-issued resources” to research information about German and scope out his neighborhood ahead of the killing.

Telles was convicted of fatally stabbing German multiple times outside the reporter’s home on Sept. 2, 2022. His DNA was found underneath German’s fingernails, and investigators found clothing matching the assailant’s description at Telles’ home.

Both his personal cellphone and work computer contained information on German’s address and vehicle registration, prosecutors said during trial.

“This type of violence, this sort of political violence because of being upset about an article that has been written about you, is unacceptable and dangerous for our community as a whole,” Weckerly told the judge.

Weckerly said that German’s death uniquely affects the community and readers who “relied upon him to supply them with information.”

German’s siblings previously spoke during a phase of Telles’ trial when jurors were tasked with deciding his punishment for first-degree murder.

Relatives described German as a dedicated family man who loved spending time with his siblings, nieces and nephew. German moved to from Milwaukee to Las Vegas in 1978 to report for the Las Vegas Sun, where he covered organized crime. He later spent nearly 12 years at the Review-Journal, covering courts and watchdog investigative stories.

He showed “no interest in retiring,” his brother told the jury during the trial.

Outside of work, German loved watching sports and being with family, who all followed German and moved to Las Vegas.

Jay German said Wednesday that it will take a long time for his family to recover from the loss.

“It’s been a mess, it’s been really difficult for all of us,” Jay German said. “We’re doing our best to get through it, we really are. But he was our leader, and we’re never going to see him again.”

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.