Nye County deputy treasurer accused of swindling landowners
A man working for the Nye County Treasurer’s office is accused of tricking at least two people into selling their land to him for as little as $10 when each property was worth thousands.
Samuel Alsup, 60, of Tonopah, was arrested on two counts of misconduct of a public officer and one count each of false representation concerning title, obtaining money under false pretenses and exploitation of an “older person,” which state law defines as a person 60 or older, according to a statement from the Nye County Sheriff’s Office late Tuesday.
Alsup has been employed by Nye County for two years, most recently working in the treasurer’s Tonopah office, according to the sheriff’s office. A county staff directory lists Alsup as a deputy treasurer over trust property.
Over the course of months, investigators looked into allegations that Alsup was “utilizing his position for personal financial gain,” according to the sheriff’s office.
“In one of these cases, Alsup used his official position to convince a landowner that their property was worthless and not buildable,” the sheriff’s office said in a video posted Tuesday. “Knowing that this was not true, Alsup purchased the property for $10.”
Police said Alsup sold one of the properties he purchased for several thousand dollars and lied to the county recorder’s office, reporting that he bought it for $2,000 instead of $10 and falsely reporting that the property had been tax delinquent.
Anyone with information about the case may call Nye County Sheriff’s Office at 775-751-7000.
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.
