Latest news with #8NewsNowInvestigators
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Get busted for a mango, but not fentanyl; Las Vegas airport has no drug dogs, acting U.S. attorney says
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — There are no drug dogs regularly placed at Harry Reid International Airport, Sigal Chattah, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, told the 8 News Now Investigators. Chattah, newly appointed by President Donald Trump, said she is working to change this. 'We have agricultural dogs, so you could get busted for bringing in a mango, but you know, you bring in 10 pounds of fentanyl and there you might not get caught,' Chattah said in an exclusive interview with the 8 News Now Investigators. 'People don't need to bring drugs through the airport.' Sources confirmed to the 8 News Now Investigators that the airport, identified as the seventh busiest airport in the United States, has not had regularly placed drug dogs for years. Occasionally, other agencies may bring their drug dogs to the airport, but this is not on a regular basis, according to sources. The 8 News Now Investigators reached out to Harry Reid International Airport. A spokesperson confirmed Clark County's Department of Aviation and its K-9 division has dogs specializing in explosives, not drugs. When asked whether she believed drug dogs were not placed at the airport because it would be bad for tourism, Chattah said she did not doubt that. 'We don't want to ruin Las Vegas' reputation of the party town. That's going to change tremendously,' she told the 8 News Now Investigators. 'Today, if you want to buy drugs, I mean, and it's in plain sight. You know, you could go on Instagram and somebody could post, 'Is it snowing in Vegas?' And they're here from out of town, and drug dealers know what that means. So today the drug dealers coming to your hotel room, coming to your hotel, so there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to interdict large quantities of drugs through the airports.' Fentanyl is the biggest problem, with methamphetamine being next, according to the Chattah. She said she wants to target drug trafficking in her new role, along with human trafficking. 'Historically, there has not been an incentive to go after human trafficking,' Chattah told the 8 News Now Investigators. 'We're going to go after human trafficking, yes, yes, and you know, human trafficking includes also, by the way, not just the sex trafficking, but also human trafficking as regards to labor, you know, you have a lot of labor trafficking and it's, it's heartbreaking.' Chattah also said her office has the ability to investigate public utility companies under antitrust violations. She specifically referenced price-fixing and price-gouging. 'The public utility companies have been abusing consumers,' she said. Chattah also said an election case is underway. President Donald Trump appointed Chattah as the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Nevada through an unprecedented legal maneuver last week. She resigned from her position as interim U.S. Attorney before the 120-day deadline expired. This triggered the federal vacancy act, which allowed the president to appoint Chattah to the new position and remain in the office, according to Chattah. Chattah said she was also appointed as a special prosecutor for the United States Attorney General, resulting in a dual role. Democratic U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen issued a statement against Chattah's appointment. 'This is an outrageous attempt by the Trump Administration to try to install extremist Sigal Chattah as Acting U.S. Attorney for Nevada and keep her in that role indefinitely. Trump knows Chattah would be soundly rejected by both sides of the aisle if she had to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, which is why he's relying on an unconstitutional maneuver to illegally extend her temporary appointment that was set to expire today,' Rosen said. 'I will continue doing everything I can to block any permanent appointment of extremist Sigal Chattah as Nevada's U.S. Attorney. She is deeply unfit for this role, and I call on the legal system to immediately remove her.' Chattah addressed her opponents and said there is nothing they can do to change Trump's recent appointment. Chattah is a former Republican National Committee woman, made an unsuccessful run for Nevada Attorney General, and has made headlines for controversial statements she has made. To reach investigative reporter Vanessa Murphy, email vmurphy@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State bar wants new crack at disbarring Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The state bar wants another shot at stripping Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones of his law license, according to documents obtained by the 8 News Now Investigators. In March, a hearing panel charged with deciding whether to discipline Jones voted to reprimand him instead of revoking or suspending his law license. The state bar urged the panel to disbar Jones for deleting text messages related to a controversial real estate development project near Red Rock Canyon. Moreover, it rejected outright the state bar's claim that Jones bribed then-county-commissioner and eventual Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak. The panel — comprised entirely of volunteers — rejected outright the notion of bribery and explained to Jones, his lawyers and the state bar counsel that they opted to reprimand him because of so-called character evidence portraying Jones in a good light. However, in recent filings with regard to Jones' disciplinary matter, the state bar counsel, Dan Hooge, requested a new hearing based on what they refer to as 'misconduct' by Jones' attorney, who Hooge wrote made 'improper closing arguments' which prejudiced the jury. Hooge also argues, in his April 28 motion, that the panel ignored instructions 'against using character evidence to determine guilt or innocence.' 'The cumulative effect of these improper arguments prejudiced the State Bar's case, denying it a fair hearing,' Hooge wrote. 'Each tactic—golden rule arguments, emotional appeals, vouching, and mocking—individually and collectively undermined the panel's ability to impartially evaluate the evidence.' Hooge also said that Jones' attorney, former Clark County District Court Judge Rob Bare spoke for too long to the panel, indicating that Bare's four-hour closing argument 'was improper.' Included in the 22 pages of memorandum and exhibits is a signed declaration by one of the three volunteer panelists, which was comprised of two volunteer attorneys and one member of the public. Attorney Rachel Wise, under the pains and penalties of perjury, wrote that the panel's deliberations were 'influenced by Respondent's counsel's improper tactics, including name-calling, crying, and golden rule violations.' Wise wrote that the one member of the public empaneled to decide Jones' disciplinary matter 'voted emotionally.' 'I believe that the improper conduct from Respondent's counsel prejudiced the panel's ability to render a fair and impartial decision,' Wise wrote. Jones did not respond to a request for comment. His attorney, Bare, did respond to the 8 News Now Investigators' request for comment, writing, 'Please review our opposition to the motion you reference. It speaks for itself.' To that end, in his own motion, Bare did not mince words. 'The State Bar's motion seems to operate in an alternate universe where the Hearing Panel somehow gave Mr. Joens a free pass for the misconduct it ultimately found him guilty of, arguing that the decision to 'impose only a reprimand' suggests the panel was 'swayed' for improper reasons,' Bare wrote, calling the motion 'litigator's remorse.' Bare also signed a written declaration under the pains and penalties of perjury, in which he took issue with some of the allegations in a separate writing from Wise's, an anonymous survey which ultimately was made public, in which she wrote Bare 'screamed' at the state bar's expert witness, UNLV Law Professor Benjamin Edwards. The hearing, Wise wrote in the survey, gave her a 'two-day migraine.' Edwards testified about whether and why, in his opinion, Jones committed bribery. 'My closing argument was reflective of the fact that I was defending two different bar complaints combined into one, which alleged various serious charges against Mr. Jones, including that he had committed a felony criminal act,' Bare wrote in his declaration. 'As the State Bar was seeking to permanently disbar Mr. Jones, I felt it was entirely necessary and appropriate to give the closing arguments that I did. It is unfortunate that Ms. Wise felt the need to resort calling me a '2 -year-old.'' This case is currently under automatic review by the Supreme Court of Nevada, with briefs due on June 19. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘Half the story:' Las Vegas reality star opens up about murder plot, asks judge to sentence wife to prison
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Clark County judge Thursday sentenced the wife of a reality TV host to prison time for conspiring to kill her husband, who told the 8 News Now Investigators in an exclusive interview that the public only knows 'half the story.' Police arrested Victoria Goodwin, 32, in April. She will serve between three and seven-and-a-half years in a state penitentiary under a guilty plea she entered in April. Judge Nadia Krall spared Goodwin — who conspired with a felon serving time in a Florida prison for murder — the maximum sentence of 10 years. Wife of 'Ghost Adventures' star agrees to plead guilty to conspiracy to murder Goodwin is married to Aaron Goodwin, a Las Vegas resident and host of the television program 'Ghost Adventures.' 'I feel terrible,' Goodwin told the 8 News Now Investigators after court. 'All this is such a mess. I haven't seen her since she dropped me off at the airport. So that was the first time I've even looked at her. It's tough. But that's just half the story. Wait till you hear the rest of it.' Victoria Goodwin apologized in court to her parents and to her estranged husband, who filed for divorce after his wife's arrest. 'I genuinely pray you find your joy and peace again,' she said before the judge handed down her sentence. 'And I will bow out of your life forever to hopefully ease that process. I'm sorry I broke us, and I'm consumed with regret every day. My absolute promise to you is that you will never see or hear from me. I intend to leave the state of Nevada, and you and anyone else will never be in danger of me ever again.' Aaron Goodwin, in an emotional in-court statement before the sentencing, said she had plotted his murder while he was being 'just a loving husband' and did nothing to stop it. He told the judge that prison time seemed appropriate. 'Whether she got minimum or maximum time, I still won't feel safe whenever she's released,' Aaron Goodwin said. 'I feel like this deserves prison time, I don't know. So I just leave it in your hands, your honor.' Goodwin originally faced an additional charge for solicitation to commit murder, but the plea deal she made eliminated that charge. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nevada lawmakers approve Reba's Law; it's now on the governor's desk
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Monday was the last day of the 120-day legislative session in Nevada and late that night, Nevada lawmakers passed Reba's Law, an animal cruelty measure. The proposal, Assembly Bill 381, was aimed at strengthening penalties against animal abusers after the death of an English bulldog who died in July 2024 after she was left sealed inside a plastic tub in 110-degree heat. She initially survived, but died days later as a result of heat stroke. Republican Assem. Melissa Hardy proposed the bill, which also establishes a wider range of penalties so prosecutors can more easily make the punishment fit the crime, she said. 'As I stated from the beginning, the intent was to seek justice for Reba and to be the voice for the voiceless, those that are harmed, abused and killed that can't speak for themselves,' Hardy said in April when the bill, which missed a deadline to move out of committee, was granted an excemption to be revived. Current law allows only misdemeanors to punish people involved in a wide variety of animal cruelty cases. The sentences range from one to four years in prison, even when the animal dies. This bill calls for tougher penalties in more extreme cases, including when an animal is killed or when a police animal is disabled or killed. The bill lists the punishment in both cases as imprisonment for a minimum term of not less than one year and a maximum term of not more than six years. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo had not signed the bill as of Tuesday afternoon. RELATED: Dog dies in extreme Las Vegas heat after woman says she fell asleep, forgot about dog for 20 hours Reba's death made national headlines in 2024 as people called for 'Justice for Reba.' In December, police arrested Issac Laushaul Jr., 32; and Markeisha Foster, 30, on animal abuse charges. A grand jury later voted to indict them on similar charges. On Monday, the 8 News Now Investigators reported that Laushaul wanted his trial to happen outside of Las Vegas because of intense media coverage. 'The media has followed this case/story extensively,' Laushaul's attorney wrote in court documents filed May 16, citing 8 News Now's reporting. 'Media coverage has included photographs, articles all about 'Reba,' interviews with individuals who know the defendant, coverage of in-court proceedings, pending motions, comments by prosecutors, police, and defense attorneys, and interviews and analyses of veterinarians as to 'how this could have all happened.'' The filing indicates Laushaul and his attorney believe they will be unable to find an impartial jury. While not asking for a venue change, Foster's attorney asked the judge to sever her case from Laushaul's. Clark County District Court Judge Ron Israel was scheduled to hear arguments on both issues Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Former Las Vegas police officer denied parole in woman's 1997 killing
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada's parole board denied parole for a former police officer who is in prison in connection with the murder of a woman in 1997, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. Arthur Sewell, 58, will continue to serve time in prison for Nadia Iverson's death. Sewell began serving a six-to-15-year prison sentence in 2023 after entering a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter with use of a deadly weapon enhancement. Sewell also received credit for time already served in jail. A parole hearing was held on May 5. Iverson, 20, died of a gunshot wound in May 1997. Her body was found inside a home under construction in downtown Las Vegas. An investigation revealed that Iverson may have been sexually assaulted. Marie Coker, Iverson's sister, who lives out of state, traveled to Nevada for the parole hearing to speak against Sewell's release from prison. 'So he gets to see me and my sister,' Coker said in a previous interview. 'Every chance I get up there to stand to be a voice for her.' The crime was unsolved until 2018 after the state of Nevada tested decades-old rape kits. Sewell's DNA was found to be a match in Iverson's killing, police said. While Las Vegas Metro police said Iverson was a sex worker who struggled with a drug problem, Iverson's loved ones told the 8 News Now Investigators she was not a sex worker. Coker said that she had only been in Las Vegas for a short period and had been going through a tough time after a failed relationship, and her mother was in a serious car accident. In a video obtained by the 8 News Now Investigators, two cold case detectives interviewed Sewell and told him a gun that he owned was connected to the crime scene. For more than an hour, Sewall denied involvement before admitting to killing Iverson. 'I went out with the intention of sexual gratification, and when my .357 went off, it freaked me out and I bolted and panicked,' Sewall told the detectives. A Clark County District Court judge later determined Sewell's confession could not be used in the murder case because detectives kept questioning Sewell without an attorney. The judge also determined that his Miranda rights were violated. Months before Iverson was killed, Sewall resigned from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. He was convicted of abusing his power as a law enforcement officer after he was caught on video exchanging favors for sexual acts. Sewell is serving his time at Ely State Prison. According to prison records, Sewell has used both Sewell and Sewall for his surname. Coker said the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners initially informed her Sewell would be up for parole in 2026. A victim services coordinator later informed her that this was incorrect and confirmed a May 2025 hearing. Sewell will not be eligible for parole again until October 2027, according to the Nevada Department of Corrections. Records show he will finish serving his sentence in May 2028. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
