Attorney, former police officer face arson, fraud charges

Both have received letters from the Clark Couny district attorney’s office — Quon late last month and Webb in the past week — informing them that they are targets of the investigation. They have until Monday to inform prosecutors if they want to participate, and until April 5 to respond.

Prosecutors are looking to charge the couple with arson and insurance fraud over the Oct. 28 fire that damaged the two-story home at 73 Dollar Pointe Ave. Quon bought the 4,500-square-foot home for $327,806 in July 2000.

Police believe Quon, a wealthy construction defects lawyer now under federal investigation, set the fire in a botched suicide attempt.

Quon, who acknowledged taking sleeping pills and a high alcohol energy drink prior to the fire, was rescued from the home by Webb’s brother, Daniel, who found her unconscious on a downstairs sofa.

Two days prior to the fire, Quon was described as “detached and despondent” in a meeting with local and federal investigators probing massive fraud and corruption within Las Vegas Valley homeowners associations.

Quon, one of many targets in that investigation, has denied setting the fire or trying to kill herself.

County firefighters have refused to discuss the origin of the fire and have released few details.

“The cause remains under investigation,” said county spokesman Dan Kulin.

Kulin said the fire, which caused an estimated $250,000 in damages, was reported at 10:59 a.m. and put out by 11:14 a.m. A total of 33 firefighters responded.

Prosecutors believe Quon, 50, also participated in a subsequent scheme to arrange her death using what she and Webb thought would be undetectable drugs, and are seeking drug conspiracy charges against her.

Webb, 43, has already been indicted in that plot. He is behind bars facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder and drug conspiracy charges over an alleged effort to unlawfully obtain 51.4 grams of the club drug, gama-hydroxybutyrtic acid from undercover detectives to give to Quon.

The two cases are built around the testimony of Robert Justice, 45, a two-time convicted felon who befriended both Webb and one of the undercover detectives. Justice is charged in the drug conspiracy case, but has struck a deal to testify for prosecutors. He has told police that Quon wanted Webb and her family to collect on her life insurance.

Police have found that Quon has as much as $10 million in insurance polices.

Quon’s lawyer, Thomas Pitaro, said prosecutors are investigating the two cases under an “absurd” theory.

“It’s a big stretch,” Pitaro said. “If they get an indictment, we’ll just have to slug it out in court.”

Pitaro would not say if he plans to ask prosecutors to provide the grand jury with evidence on Quon’s behalf.

Webb’s attorney, John Momot, declined comment.

According to police, Webb was out of town when the fire occurred and asked his brother to check on Quon. Justice told detectives that Webb arranged to be in San Diego during the suicide attempt.

Quon told fire investigators at the hospital that she became ill from drinking a “Loko” energy drink that Webb had put in the refrigerator and went to bed upstairs. She said she woke up and still didn’t feel well, so she decided to light some candles and take a bath. When she got out of the bathtub, she took two sleeping pills and went downstairs to sleep on the couch and awoke in the back of an ambulance.

Police said in November that Quon’s indictment in the federal HOA case was “imminent,” but no federal charges have yet been filed.

The Review-Journal has reported that Justice Department prosecutors from Washington, D.C., have taken over the case and also are investigating possible leaks from the local U.S. attorney’s office that could have allowed Quon to alter or destroy evidence.

Federal prosecutors are now said to be working out plea deals with as many as 30 HOA investigation targets in an effort to obtain indictments against Quon and others. The federal probe became public 2½ years ago with raids of law firms, HOA offices and businesses across the Las Vegas Valley.

FBI agents reportedly seized records related to a scheme to rig homeowner association board elections to position conspirators, including former police officers, who would push the boards to file construction defect lawsuits against builders. Legal work and multimillion-dollar repair contracts then would be funneled to associated lawyers and companies.

Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.