7 of the 63 members of the Nevada legislature are lawyers at firms (2 from Snell Wilmer) that are also involved in the political process. Here’s a look at when their day jobs interferes with their job as legislators. [Las Vegas Sun]
One of our commenters says Lionel Sawyer filed bankruptcy last week (case 15-10462). Someone else wants to know what impact it had on them by going to a receiver first?
Las Vegas criminal defense attorney Luis Rojas pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with a short sale. He faces 5 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on June 1. [8NewsNow]
Holly Madison and several other showgirls filed suit against several individual–accusing them of recording the women in their dressing room. Holly Madison and the women are represented by Eva Garcia Mendoza. [RJ]
In an unrelated story, a revenge porn web site creator got convicted yesterday in San Diego on 21 counts of identity theft and 6 of extortion. [Washington Post]
That is surprising about Luis. I've known him since his days as a DA – always seemed like a pretty honest guy. Makes me wonder how many folks that I know do that kind of stuff and just don't get caught.
Guest
Anonymous
February 3, 2015 6:37 pm
He is still a good guy. He's a good guy who apparently made a bad mistake.
Uh, that's not a mistake. A mistake is when call someone by a wrong name, like if you think your Uncle Carl is your Uncle Debbie (long story there, but he prefers the name Donald now).
Short-selling your house to your brother-in-law, knowing the bank requires it to be an arms-length transaction, while you have $290k in liquid assets, all in an effort to defraud the bank? That takes planning and isn't a mistake.
Of course, if the banks were willing to negotiate settling the principal, this whole thing never would have happened.
Gotta agree with NMA, this was on the other side of being simply a bad lapse in judgment. Wonder whether Mahan is going to impose prison time. Any criminal practitioners willing to weigh in?
The plea agreement calls for an adjusted base offense level of 4, which is 0-6 months under the guidelines. He'll get probation, even though Mahan will sentence lawyers when the guidelines are higher.
I don't know the guy but this case seems like a waste of taxpayer money. With real and violent criminals on the streets you'd think a case like this would have just slipped away.
I don't have an issue with prosecution of these types of crimes. If we limit prosecution to "violent" crimes then we're just going to give a pass to all white-collar criminals who defraud and embezzle millions, which eventually effects all of us anyway. If anything, I think it's been shown that courts are too soft on white collar crime.
Plenty of attorneys who are practicing in the area of foreclosures, and other related mortgage services who are ripping off clients, but law enforcement ignores it.
He and his wife tried to con the system and got caught lol. Cubans have criminal blood. This is nothing to what the guy is really like. All his cocaine decisions are finally catching up to him.
Guest
Anonymous
February 3, 2015 6:56 pm
Doesn't Snell have its own lobbying department? I mean, if you hire Snell to lobby for you, shouldn't it be able to deliver its two employees?
Guest
Anonymous
February 3, 2015 9:59 pm
What is it with these former prosecutors??? Larry Semenza former US Attorney fails to pay his taxes.
Louie Rojas walking out with a duffle bag full of cash. It seems both got off easy. What a sweet deal Rojas got. Wasn't there a more serious charge than what he copped to? Aren't there folks doing a prison stretch for mortgage fraud? What was the conflict with the US Atty in Vegas? I remember Rojas being a Deputy DA not federal. I think he did a lot of federal work though. Rojas was no boy scout.
Guest
Anonymous
February 4, 2015 12:04 am
He's a criminal attorney, so any prison time can be used for "marketing." He'll turn his setback into profit in no time.
Guest
NewlyMintedAttorney
February 4, 2015 12:22 am
The folks doing serious time for mortgage fraud generally were the ones facilitating it for others – not the customers who lied through their ever-loving teeth over it, got the benefit of the loan, and then stopped making payments. I would be interested in finding out what brought this to the attention of the feds, though. Was the bank monitoring transfers? What sequence of events led to the investigation of a short sale? Because I can't believe there are serious efforts to monitor every short sale that goes on in Las Vegas these days.
That is surprising about Luis. I've known him since his days as a DA – always seemed like a pretty honest guy. Makes me wonder how many folks that I know do that kind of stuff and just don't get caught.
He is still a good guy. He's a good guy who apparently made a bad mistake.
Uh, that's not a mistake. A mistake is when call someone by a wrong name, like if you think your Uncle Carl is your Uncle Debbie (long story there, but he prefers the name Donald now).
Short-selling your house to your brother-in-law, knowing the bank requires it to be an arms-length transaction, while you have $290k in liquid assets, all in an effort to defraud the bank? That takes planning and isn't a mistake.
Of course, if the banks were willing to negotiate settling the principal, this whole thing never would have happened.
"I accidentally gave this duffel bag full of cash to my brother-in-law."
Gotta agree with NMA, this was on the other side of being simply a bad lapse in judgment. Wonder whether Mahan is going to impose prison time. Any criminal practitioners willing to weigh in?
The plea agreement calls for an adjusted base offense level of 4, which is 0-6 months under the guidelines. He'll get probation, even though Mahan will sentence lawyers when the guidelines are higher.
I don't know the guy but this case seems like a waste of taxpayer money. With real and violent criminals on the streets you'd think a case like this would have just slipped away.
I don't have an issue with prosecution of these types of crimes. If we limit prosecution to "violent" crimes then we're just going to give a pass to all white-collar criminals who defraud and embezzle millions, which eventually effects all of us anyway. If anything, I think it's been shown that courts are too soft on white collar crime.
Plenty of attorneys who are practicing in the area of foreclosures, and other related mortgage services who are ripping off clients, but law enforcement ignores it.
He and his wife tried to con the system and got caught lol. Cubans have criminal blood. This is nothing to what the guy is really like. All his cocaine decisions are finally catching up to him.
Doesn't Snell have its own lobbying department? I mean, if you hire Snell to lobby for you, shouldn't it be able to deliver its two employees?
What is it with these former prosecutors??? Larry Semenza former US Attorney fails to pay his taxes.
Louie Rojas walking out with a duffle bag full of cash. It seems both got off easy. What a sweet deal Rojas got. Wasn't there a more serious charge than what he copped to? Aren't there folks doing a prison stretch for mortgage fraud? What was the conflict with the US Atty in Vegas? I remember Rojas being a Deputy DA not federal. I think he did a lot of federal work though. Rojas was no boy scout.
He's a criminal attorney, so any prison time can be used for "marketing." He'll turn his setback into profit in no time.
The folks doing serious time for mortgage fraud generally were the ones facilitating it for others – not the customers who lied through their ever-loving teeth over it, got the benefit of the loan, and then stopped making payments. I would be interested in finding out what brought this to the attention of the feds, though. Was the bank monitoring transfers? What sequence of events led to the investigation of a short sale? Because I can't believe there are serious efforts to monitor every short sale that goes on in Las Vegas these days.
I bet they got on to him from bank withdrawals over $10,000.
plea agreement states that he went to "several banks" in Henderson and withdrew $290,000 which he put in a duffel bag to pay for the property.
He defended some bigtime mortgage fraudsters as their attorney.