| Veteran Clark County prosecutor fired |
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Article Courtesy of The Las Vegas Review-Journal By Jeff German Published March 12, 2012 Victoria Villegas, a veteran Clark County prosecutor under federal scrutiny, has been fired. "She's no longer with our office," District Attorney Steve Wolfson said Friday. Wolfson would not confirm whether the longtime chief deputy district attorney was terminated, but he said her last day in the office was Tuesday. Wolfson declined to discuss the reasons for her departure, and her lawyer, Adam Levine, declined comment. Villegas, 51, once in the running to become Nevada's U.S. attorney, has attracted the attention of Justice Department attorneys spearheading the massive probe into fraud and corruption at Las Vegas Valley homeowners associations. The allegations swirling around Villegas stem from the activities of her estranged husband, attorney David Amesbury, who pleaded guilty Oct. 24 in a scheme to take control of homeowners association boards with members who pushed for construction defect lawsuits against builders. Amesbury, 57, who is cooperating in the investigation, also admitted participating in a separate scheme to defraud banks while seeking refinancing for the Courthouse Cafe, which he operated in the Regional Justice Center under a county contract with two partners, former construction company boss Leon Benzer and ex-Las Vegas police Lt. Benjamin Kim. FBI agents and Las Vegas police suspect Villegas, who has been with the district attorney's office since May 1989, misled them about the extent of her knowledge of money loaned to the Courthouse Cafe, sources said. The scheme, which occurred from October 2008 through July 2009, involved striking a secret deal to let an unidentified businessman handle the daily operations of the cafe without informing the county or the banks, according to court documents in Amesbury's case. The businessman paid Amesbury and his partners $8,000 a month and kept any additional profits from the courthouse operation, the documents said. Wolfson's predecessor, David Roger, sought to end Villegas' employment over possible abuse of family medical leave and not being truthful to law enforcement authorities when questioned about the Courthouse Cafe. More plea deals expected in unlawful takeovers of HOAs Businesswoman targets Quon, others in HOA case Ex-HOA board member is ninth to get plea deal Attorney pleads guilty for role in HOA fraud Former property manager pleads guilty in HOA investigation Sixth defendant pleads guilty in HOA scheme Woman is fifth to plead guilty in federal HOA probe Fourth person pleads guilty in HOA fraud probe Third person pleads guilty in HOA fraud probe Second defendant pleads guilty in HOA case Las Vegas businessman enters guilty plea in federal HOA fraud case |
