Clark County deputy district attorney facing drug charges resigns

The Clark County prosecutor charged with possession of rock cocaine resigned Friday, authorities said.

David Schubert, a low-key chief deputy district attorney, was arrested March 19 in an east valley neighborhood and charged with possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy, both felonies.

Schubert, a 10-year veteran prosecutor, was assigned to a federal drug trafficking task force and handled high-profile drug cases, including last year's cocaine busts of celebrity socialite Paris Hilton and pop singer Bruno Mars. His departure from the prosecutor's office was not unexpected.

"We are going to accept the letter of resignation in lieu of termination," District Attorney David Roger said Friday.

Schubert, 47, is scheduled to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on May 19. His prosecution is being handled by the state attorney general's office.

According to Schubert's arrest report, a convicted drug dealer told police the former prosecutor was a regular customer, buying crack cocaine two or three times a week for the past six months.

Schubert made no statement to Las Vegas police after his arrest.

A Las Vegas police officer stopped Schubert's white BMW about 4:50 p.m. March 19 near Desert Inn Road and Maryland Parkway after he observed a possible drug deal in an area known for it, authorities said.

As officers approached the car, Raymond Streeter, 43, jumped out of the passenger side and ran. He later told officers that he knew Schubert only as "Joe," a customer who would call him on his cell phone to arrange small crack buys.

While interviewing Schubert, an officer noticed what proved to be 0.01 grams of cocaine in the prosecutor's car. Officers also found a legally registered handgun and a large amount of ammunition in the car.

Streeter, who has a criminal history involving drugs, was not charged. There are no indications that Schubert was involved in any case involving Streeter.

After Schubert's arrest prosecutors and investigators began reviewing his cases to determine whether there were any wrongful prosecutions and whether any ongoing investigations had been compromised.

Schubert has prosecuted a myriad of drug-related cases in District Court and at least one in federal court.

A graduate of the Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Schubert worked as a law clerk in the district attorney's office before he was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 2001. He became a prosecutor in 2002.

As a prosecutor, Schubert handled several high-profile cases, including that of New York-New York casino shooter Steven Zegrean, who was convicted in 2009 for a 2007 attack that injured four people.

In the Hilton case, the celebrity socialite was arrested in August after an officer found 0.8 grams of cocaine in her handbag following a traffic stop. She pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to probation.

Mars, a pop singer, songwriter and producer, agreed to plead guilty to felony cocaine possession and was sentenced to a year of informal probation. If completed, Mars can withdraw the plea and the case will be dismissed.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.