A white man suspected of robbing a Strip casino in blackface in January was charged Friday in federal court, records show. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
Las Vegas police on Wednesday released surveillance video of man suspected of firing several shots into the Las Vegas Lounge late last week. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
Cliven Bundy’s attorney Bret Whipple talks about the prospect of a mistrial for four main defendants, including lifelong rancher Bundy, in the Bunkerville standoff case. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
With less than a week before his scheduled execution, Scott Dozier, who was convicted of murdering 22-year-old Jeremiah Miller in 2002, remains steadfast in his resolve to be put to death for his crimes.
Wednesday’s headlines: passenger uses Taser on Lyft driver, 2 dead after crash in the central valley, man suspected of trying to run people over says he did nothing wrong, credit card skimming at gas stations still a problem. Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Tuesday’s headlines: witness in murder case hit by car outside courthouse, Raiders may play in Oakland through 2020, CCSD superintendent to receive large payday after retirement. Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Witnesses of the event say the hit appeared intentional. Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Monday’s headlines: one dead at 7-Eleven overnight, former clients want to see lawyer punished for stealing millions, NHP reminds drivers to display license plates. Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Joseph Martinez faces one count of unlawful penetration of a dead body. Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal.
1. A mother is facing child abuse and neglect charges after leaving her two children inside her car for 10 minutes while going to the bank. Police say Mary Lagle was inside an east valley Smith’s when a security guard noticed the two children in the backseat of a vehicle. Lagle came outside after a loud speaker announcement inside the store and noted that her air conditioning was running and asked if she could go back inside to complete her personal banking. Police also found an open container and marijuana in the car.
2. The Clark County coroner’s office says a man who died at Electric Daisy Carnival in June died from drug intoxication and heat exposure. Michael Adam Morse, 34, of California had ecstasy and a synthetic drug called Legal X in his system at the time of his death. At least seven people have died at EDC since 2011 with at least six of those deaths being substance-related.
3. Scott Blumstein of Morristown, New Jersey holds a commanding chip lead in the World Series of Poker Main Event. Las Vegas resident Ben Lamb was the first player eliminated from the final table Thursday. Play begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday with only seven players remaining and is expected to run until only 3 players are left.
1. A former Las Vegas firefighter convicted of hiring a hitman to kill his wife now admits to committing the crime. George Tiaffay claims that prescription drugs prevented him from knowing right from wrong and that God directed him to commit the crime to protect his child. Tiaffay is appealing his conviction, saying his lawyer failed to help him with his psychiatric condition.
2. Numerous Las Vegas-area high school football players are in hot water for causing trouble at a Utah football camp. Southern Utah University police say in late June, two Cimarron High School players threw firecrackers and smoke bombs into dorm rooms housing Palo Verde High School players. In a separate incident in mid-July, between eight and 12 camp attendees assaulted a man trying to sell them marijuana. One player cited was from Desert Oasis High School and another was from Mojave High School.
3. OJ Simpson will go before the Nevada Parole Board today. If the board rules favorably, Simpson could be released by October 1. Simpson has been at Lovelock Correctional Center for over eight years after being found guilty on 12 charges related to a 2007 robbery of sports memorabilia.
1. A suspect in a deadly shooting following a dominoes game may have continued had he not run out of ammunition. An arrest warrant states that Frederick D. Martin Jr., 57, got angry during the dominoes game because he thought someone was making fun of him and shortly after grabbed a gun from his waistband, shooting 3 people. The report says when Martin attempted to shoot a fourth person, the gun had no more bullets.
2. A second suspect in the Miracle Mile Shops shooting last Thursday has been arrested. Jaime Gonzalez, 35, turned himself in on Saturday, just two days after Jonathan Ozuna, 34, was arrested. Two security guards were shot in the parking garage at the Miracle Mile Shops attempting to apprehend two suspects who reportedly stole merchandise from Sunglass Hut.
3. The Oakland Raiders might not be in Vegas yet, but there’s already activity at their stadium site. A homeless encampment has moved in, setting up wooden pallets, a mattress and more along Dean Martin Drive. Construction for the new stadium is expected to being in January.
From the archives: OJ Simpsons arraignment hearing before a judge for a 2007 robbery at Palace Station.
OJ Simpson has been at Lovelock Correctional Center since December 2008. Now, he has the chance to walk free this October. Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Binh “Ben” Chung, a Las Vegas doctor who drugged and raped patients, was ordered Monday to serve 50 years to life behind bars but not before some of his victims addressed the court.
Thomas Randolph is a big Cowboys fan. So much so, that he requested to wear a Tony Romo jersey on his final day of sentencing. Elaine Wilson & David Ferrara/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Melvyn Sprowson, a former teacher convicted of kidnapping a 16-year-old girl, was sentenced 12 1/2 years to life in prison Monday morning. Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal.
1. Police have arrested two men in connection with an execution-style death last week. 65-year-old Jerry Lee Moore was found handcuffed and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head on June 5 on the 1800 block of Cypress Trail near Rancho and Lake Mead. Police did not name the suspects but confirmed the arrest late Wednesday.
2. A second teen charged in the November gang rape of a 14-year-old special education student will be prosecuted as an adult. Dennis Alas-Jarquin is 18 now but was 17 at the time of the crime and is one of four boys charged. 15-year-old Leby Urquilla will also be charged as an adult and the two remaining teens could still be certified as adults in the next few months. Two adults are also charged in the case: Jose Mejia-Henriquez, 18, and Leby Alas-Gomez, 39.
3. A corrections employee committed suicide inside the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump Tuesday. Detention center staff found the man after responding to a fire alarm in the facility, though no fire was found. A source with knowledge of the investigation said tear gas or some other chemical irritant was set off in the room before the suicide and that the death was the result of a gunshot wound. The employee’s name and position have not been released.
Officer Kenneth Lopera is facing charges after Tashii Brown’s in-custody death was ruled a homicide. Lopera was told to let go of Brown by another officer, and continued the chokehold for over 40 seconds after. Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal
1. Two downtown Las Vegas casinos will open temporarily to preserve gaming licenses. The Las Vegas Club and Mermaids casinos must have casino play on the floor for at least 8 hours every two years to preserve a gaming license. United Coin Machine will set up slot machines in the two casinos in late June to help maintain the license.
2. Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that two dozen reputed Russian mobsters and associates were arrested on racketeering charges. Razhden Shulaya, the alleged leader of a Soviet mafia syndicate, was arrested in Las Vegas and is accused of running gambling, stolen goods and protection rackets in several states. Thirty-three defendants in total were charged in the indictment.
3. A Las Vegas judge posted and removed a doctored photo of herself with Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson. The photo was posted on Heidi Almase’s campaign Facebook page Tuesday night before it was quickly removed. Almase’s campaign manager Jennifer Barrier says she is close family friends with Johnson, but did not have authorization to post the image.
1. A woman died Tuesday after she was run over by a semitrailer. A Walgreens-branded semi was turning into a Walgreens parking lot at about 11:45 last night when it ran over the woman, who was either in a chair or a bed roll on the sidewalk. The woman died at Sunrise Hospital shortly after.
2. Las Vegas home sales are continuing to surge. The median sales price of April closings jumped 3.4 percent last year to $336,000. New home closings in Clark County from January to April are up almost 40 percent from the same period last year.
3. And a 26-year-old Henderson woman was arrested on a murder charge in connection with her mother’s death. Police say Carly Kalbfleisch called 911 around 12:20 pm Tuesday to report a domestic violence incident involving her mother. When officers arrived, they found the mother dead inside with multiple unspecified injuries. Kalbfleisch is being held without bail at Henderson detention center.
Ross and Yolanda Strauss face a murder charge following Brandon Strauss’s death in February. The Clark County coroner says Brandon died from sepsis following severe burns his parents say he suffered in a bath. Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal
1. A Las Vegas police officer used a Taser on a man 7 times before using a chokehold for more than a minute Sunday before his death. According to police, officer Kenneth Lopera believed Tashi Brown was attempting to carjack someone outside of The Venetian when Lopera used a Taser on Brown 7 times, struck him and administered a chokehold before Brown became unresponsive. The driver of the truck says he didn’t feel he was being carjacked and Brown would not have faced any charges had he survived. Officer Lopera is currently on paid leave while Brown’s death is investigated.
2. Henderson police chief Patrick Moers faces an internal investigation after he sent out mailers to local businesses promoting Friends of Henderson Police Department Foundation, which Moers said was the department’s only authorized fundraising group. Henderson Mayor Debra March said she was concerned by the mailer and a spokesman with the police department says the city is reviewing its policies in regards to charitable activities.
3. UFC president Dana White and Conor McGregor have agreed on a deal to fight boxer Floyd Mayweather. White said late Wednesday that UFC and McGregor came to terms on a deal and now they must work on a deal with Mayweather’s team. Terms have yet to be released.
reviewjournal.com
1. A former Las Vegas nightclub promoter was acquitted Thursday of kidnapping and sexual assault charges. A 25-year-old woman testified that Frederick Richards took her to his home in Rhodes Ranch after meeting at Hyde nightclub, and that she awoke the next morning with her underwear across the room. Jurors said they felt the state couldn’t prove the woman’s testimony and that it wasn’t an easy decision to acquit Richards.
2. A man was shot and killed at a northwest Las Vegas apartment complex. Police were dispatched to Bloom Apartment Homes on Gowan Road near Tenaya Way at about 6 p.m. Thursday, where they found a man dead inside a car. Police are still investigating.
3. The Raiders are set to name a general contractor for a new Las Vegas stadium. Raiders president Marc Badain said Thursday that a contract has yet to be finalized, but that they’re working with a Minneapolis-based firm Mortensen Construction that is partners with McCarthy Building Companies in Henderson. A timeline released by the Stadium Authority estimates stadium groundbreaking by late December or early January.
reviewjournal.com
1. James Beach, the suspect in a tourist’s one-punch death, made his first court appearance Wednesday. Beach’s attorney said that there was never an intention to hurt anybody and that the incident was a terrible accident. Beach is being held without bail at Clark County Detention Center.
2. A police report shows a March shooting death in the east Las Vegas Valley was fueled by drugs, sex and jealousy. According to the report, Derrian Stephens was high on meth and with his girlfriend when Eric Flores came to talk with her. Stephens was upset and hit the woman with a fire extinguisher and left. Later, when the woman went with Flores to Stephen’s house to claim her things, an argument ensued and Flores shot Stephens in the neck. Flores was arrested Monday on one count of murder with a deadly weapon.
3. UNLV forward Dwayne Morgan has been suspended after an arrest over the weekend. Morgan was arrested early Saturday on a disorderly conduct charge after a dispute with a cabdriver. UNLV athletics issued a statement saying they are aware of the situation and have suspended Morgan indefinitely.
reviewjournal.com
Defense gives opening statements in Frederick Richards’ sexual assault case, and poses the question of whether or not the alleged victim ever told the defendant “no.” (Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
The prosecution gives opening statements in trial against Frederick Richards, a former club promoter accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman. (Elaine Wilson/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
1. A 2012 attack at a Las Vegas Strip nightclub has resulted in a $160 million jury verdict. According to the lawsuit, David Moradi, a former New York hedge fund manager, sued Marquee nightclub at The Cosmopolitan after security guards shoved Moradi and demanded his ID and credit card. A local neurosurgeon diagnosed with Moradi with a traumatic brain injury following the incident.
2. The father of a missing teen and his girlfriend are both facing murder charges. Police say substantial information led to the arrest of Paul Jones and Latoya Williams-Miley. 13-year-old Aaron Jones went missing in January. Police suspect a decaying body found by the family on Tuesday could be Aaron’s.
3. CCSD trustees pulled controversial employee contract proposals from the agenda on Thursday night, a plan that shows continued tensions between Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky and some board members. The proposal to terminate the contracts of confidential employees after they expire was perceived by some to effectively oust Skorkowsky and his team, and a way to block the district’s mandated reorganization.
1. An American Airlines employee has been suspended after a video posted on Friday showed an altercation where one of the crew members violently took a stroller from a woman, who was carrying her small child. The crew member began hitting the woman with the stroller, just barely missing the child. The incident started over a dispute as to whether the woman could bring her stroller on the flight. American Airlines is investigating the incident.
2. The money has begun rolling in for the Raiders’ planned stadium in Las Vegas with room-tax revenue specifically allocated to pay off stadium construction bonds that are running about 25 percent ahead of projections. Projections calculated by the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee forecasted a monthly revenue of about $3.7 million when it was studied last year. Raiders President Marc Badain on Thursday confirmed that the Raiders took about 23,000 $100 deposits for personal seat license for tickets on the first day they were available, and the total now is over 40,000. Revenue generated by PSLs will be applied toward the Raiders’ $1.15 billion financial contribution for construction of a 65,000-seat domed stadium with an estimated price of $1.9 billion.
3. Federal prosecutors have filed trafficking and coercion charges against a Las Vegas man accused of driving a 15-year-old girl to a fire station for sex. Authorities claim Gino Miller, 23, forced the girl into prostitution just days before the firehouse encounter and acted as her pimp. The 46-year-old fire captain, Richard Loughry, is accused of paying the girl $300 for sex. Loughry is facing eight counts, including statutory sexual seduction, in Las Vegas Justice Court. (Gabriella Benavidez/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
1. Prominent sports bettor David Oancea, known to most as “Vegas Dave” was arraigned in federal court and pleaded not guilty to using other people’s Social Security numbers to open player accounts at area casinos. Oancea was arrested by Metro officers for an outstanding domestic battery warrant after his arraignment. His federal trial is set for June 20th.
2. A criminal complaint against a Las Vegas fire captain states that Richard Loughry paid a 15-year-old girl $300 to have sex with him in a fire station. An online ad said the girl was 22 years old and Loughry exchanged text messages with the girl before she met him at the station. Loughry made his first court appearance this morning.
3. Two Bullhead City officers rescued a pair of brothers early this morning from the Colorado River. The two brothers in their mid-20s were kayaking late at night when the kayaks capsized. The officers removed their gear and jumped in to help the brothers and the Bullhead City Police Department called the men “heroes.”