Auctioneer makes good on bounced check, still has problems

Auctioneer Guy Deiro finally made good on his check to Opportunity Village, the one that bounced in December. He paid the charity $9,710 on Feb. 22, four months after he auctioned off the late Claudine Williams' personal effects.

He said the auction in October only raised about $40,000, which her friends had trouble believing because the Las Vegas gaming pioneer, the first woman to operate a Strip casino, was known for her expensive clothes, furs and jewelry.

The money from the auction was supposed to go to four local charities, but the only one to receive a check from Deiro was Opportunity Village, and it bounced.

St. Jude's Ranch for Children, The Nature Conservancy and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Hotel Administration also were supposed to get about $10,000 each, but initially got nothing.

Opportunity Village's Linda Smith said Deiro told her the nearly $10,000 was the proceeds of "the first sale," hinting more was to come. "We're not holding our breath," she said.

The charity, which helps the developmentally disabled, had started looking into whether to file a claim with the bad check division of the district attorney's office. That seemed to be a catalyst for last month's payment because Smith said she was asked by Deiro's attorney to give back the bounced check in exchange for the cashier's check.

Deiro's attorney Luis Rojas said Deiro "has no obligation to pay the other charities. Our intention is to return the money to the estate of Claudine Williams."

However, Deiro's ex-wife, Romy Ashjian (sister of controversial Tea Party candidate Scott Ashjian) said late Friday that Deiro is negotiating a payment plan.

St. Jude's and UNLV confirmed they have received no payments.

Deiro said previously the Opportunity Village check bounced because he had been the victim of employee embezzlement, and he has filed a complaint with the Las Vegas police.

His business filed for bankruptcy in 2008, and he listed $2.7 million in unsecured claims. Under his reorganization plan, Deiro said he would pay off 2 cents on the dollar.

Court records since 2000 show he is a defendant in five District Court civil cases, mostly breach of contract, and a defendant in eight cases in Las Vegas Justice Court.

Ahern Rentals successfully sued Deiro, claiming he auctioned four pieces of equipment for $14,400 but never paid the company. Sound familiar?

His business licenses in Clark County as Deiro Auctioneers are now inactive. On Jan. 26, county officials asked him to provide a bond and financial information. He did not, so his application was terminated.

Deiro cannot conduct auctions in the county, but he is still licensed as Robert Deiro and Associates in the city of Las Vegas. That license will be examined in light of the loss of his county license, according to Jim DiFiore, manager of the city's Business Services.

Robert Deiro, who started the auction business in 1976 and sold it to his son in 1991, is estranged from his son. He's embarrassed his name is involved even though he isn't. "This has really been hard on me," the retiree said.

Romy Ashjian, who operates Gypsy Rose Liquidators and does business with her ex-husband, said he deserves credit for all the charity auctions he conducted for free over 27 years.

But the public also deserves to know he has licensing issues, a slew of complaints and lawsuits, including a $1 million case filed by The Venetian but now on hold since he filed bankruptcy.

Maybe his past good deeds balance his current financial woes. People who choose to do business with him will have to make that call.

But he can say he has paid Opportunity Village.

Jane Ann Morrison's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail her at Jane@reviewjournal.com or call 702- 383-0275. She also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/morrison.