Pimp Gets 13 Life Sentences

A Las Vegas man convicted on numerous charges relating to the operation of a prostitution ring was sentenced to thirteen life prison terms Tuesday last week in Clark County District Court.

Raymond Christopher Sharp, 48, was sentenced by Clark County District Judge Elissa Cadish to 13 life terms, 10 of which would run concurrently.  He will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole on the charge of kidnap with the use of a deadly weapon. He received twelve more sentences of life in prison with the possibility of parole for his conviction on 18 other charges, most of them felonies.

Sharp, a registered sex offender, was arrested last July 2 of last year after police responded to reports of an almost naked hysterical woman knocking on doors in a northwest valley neighborhood asking for assistance. Witnesses said they saw a black adult man, later identified as Sharp, drag the woman by the hair back into a residence.  When responding patrol units realized the disturbance involved prostitution-related activities, LVMPD Vice detectives were summoned to the scene. Armed with a search warrant on Sharp’s residence, police said they found evidence of prostitution-related activities.

The investigation further revealed that the victim in this particular crime was just one of numerous prostitutes being pandered by Sharp. It was also discovered that Sharp, a convicted person prohibited from legally possessing firearms, had numerous weapons including assault rifles, some of which were loaded at the time of his arrest.

Arrested in Las Vegas? Contact Criminal Defense Lawyer Ross Goodman today! He offers free consultation. Call +1 702 383-5088.

Former Las Vegas Police Detective Sentenced for Montana DUI Car Crash

A former detective at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was sentenced Thursday in Montana District Court after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DUI and felony criminal endangerment in connection with a car crash which happened on Old Highway 10 near Laurel on May 26, 2011.

Timothy Nicothodes, 47, on the day of the accident, was driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup at 98 mph at about 10:30 p.m. when he slammed into the rear-end of a Ford Focus going 50 mph. A test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of between 0.192 percent and 0.219 percent, well above the 0.08 legal limit for driving. The occupants of the car, 19-year-old Baylee Brooks, and passenger Keenan Weatherford, 20, received numerous cuts and bruises. Nicothodes himself was also seriously injured, with broken ribs and a broken back.

Nicothodes reached an agreement with prosecutors in February and entered a no-contest plea to the single felony charge and admitted guilt to the DUI.

Judge Gregory Todd sentenced Nicothodes to a 3-year deferred prison sentence and ordered him to pay a $3,000 fine for the criminal endangerment charge. The judge also sentenced him to a concurrent six-month jail sentence, with all but three days suspended, and a $500 fine for DUI. He was given credit for the three days that he has already served in the county jail.

Todd said the sentence he imposed reflected a fair punishment for a man who has no prior criminal record, not even a traffic ticket, and who had a "sparkling record" as a law enforcement officer. He also said that a deferred sentence is consistent with the sentences imposed in similar cases.

Las Vegas Couple, 1 Other, Arrested in Watford City on Counterfeiting Charges

Watford City police arrested a Las Vegas couple and a local resident for counterfeiting and other serious felony charges according to a statement released Friday.

Kasi Switzer, 18, and her boyfriend, Shawn Patton, 31, both of Las Vegas, were arrested July 14 for five separate offenses of counterfeiting, each a Class C felony. Patton, in addition, was also charged with carrying a concealed weapon, a Class A misdemeanor, for having  a switchblade knife in his possession at the time of his arrest.

Another person, Travis Linseth, 27, of Watford City, in whose house the couple occupied a bedroom, was arrested July 15 for five separate offenses of counterfeiting, each a Class C felony. In addition, he was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia methamphetamine, a Class C felony, possession of drug paraphernalia marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor, and ingesting a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor.

During a consent search of Linseth's residence, items such as a laser printer, different qualities of paper, rubber cement, aerosol sprays and other articles used in the manufacture of counterfeit bills were found in the bedroom occupied by the Las Vegas couple. Counterfeit currency in excess of $10,000 was also recovered, including some $20 bills along with $50 and $100 bills in the couple’s quarters.

Patton and Switzer remained in custody in the Williams County Jail. Linseth posted bond and was released from jail.

The counterfeiting case has also been forwarded to the U.S. Secret Service for possible federal prosecution.

Death Sentence for 2008 Killing of Man, Fetus in Las Vegas

A man was sentenced to death July 12 for shooting his pregnant estranged wife, killing her fetus and her boyfriend.

William Keck, 29,  was convicted the previous week of five counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, and manslaughter-killing of an unborn quick child for the November 3, 2008, shooting. It was established that on said day, he fatally shot Jonathan Lestelle, 26, during an early morning attack at the Fountains at Villa Cordova apartments, at 2800 S. Eastern Ave., near Sahara Avenue. According to police, Keck used a chain saw to cut a hole in the apartment door. He then shot the door knob off and fired multiple rounds through the hole. He next shot his estranged wife, Angel Reyes, eight times. The fetus, which was 18 weeks old and fathered by Lestelle, was struck by at least one bullet during the attack and died.

The two-week trial of the case was followed by a two-day-long penalty phase that featured wrenching testimony from Reyes and Lestelle's family. Reyes herself testified that prior to the shooting Keck had threatened to shoot her in the stomach and kill her baby.

Keck's criminal defense lawyer in Las Vegas tried arguing that he suffered from a mental disorder.

The jury deliberated about an hour and a half before handing down the death sentence.

Still No Prison Term for South Dakota Man on 5th DUI Conviction

A man who has been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol five different times in the past five years has been released from jail without having to serve any time in prison according to a report from The Argus Leader, a South Dakota newspaper.

The man, 57-year-old Randall Gene Hoogendoorn, received a sentence last week that only requires him to spend two years under intense supervision.

Sioux Falls prosecutors had asked for a lengthy sentence due to Hoogendoorn’s criminal history, but Judge Robin Houwman felt that a lesser sentence offered the man “the best opportunity for rehabilitation.”

Judge Houwman however established strict guidelines that Hoogdendoorn must obey. He must for example have to call his probation officers up to 50 times a day in order to meet the terms of his probation. If he fails to regularly report to his probation officer, Hoogdendoorn could face a term in prison of up to 10 years. He will also be placed under house arrest during the initial portion of his probation and that he will be required to call his probation officer when he wakes up, when he eats, and even when he leaves his room.Apparently, the judge believed that a heavily supervised probation would best serve the public interest as it keeps another person out of prison and saves taxpayer dollars.

50-Year Old Killed by DUI Hit & Run Driver on Boulder Highway

A 50-year old man from Reno who was crossing Boulder Highway south of Harmon Avenue at around 11 p.m. late Tuesday was hit by a 2004 Nissan Sentra which fled the scene without stopping according to Las Vegas law enforcement authorities.

The Clark County coroner has identified the fatality as Frank Harry Martini. Investigators said Martin was outside of the crosswalk when he was struck by a car just before 11 p.m. Tuesday near the Eastside Cannery casino-hotel.. He was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center where he later died. The coroner said Martini died of multiple blunt force trauma and ruled the death an accident. His death was reportedly the 63rd traffic-related fatality in the jurisdiction of Las Vegas police this year.

Las Vegas police officers tracked down the Nissan and identified its driver as 44-year-old David Nieto,.Police allege that Nieto drove away after the crash. He was found and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and fleeing the scene of an accident. Pending a court appearance, he was booked for felony drunken driving and hit & run charges.

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