Thursday, October 17, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Man revises plea in Wynn stalking case

Donald Phillips claims he was mentally ill

A man who claims to be Steve Wynn's long-lost brother and who is charged with stalking the gaming executive now says he was mentally ill when he attempted to contact Wynn.

Donald Eugene Phillips, 47, surprised the courtroom of District Judge John McGroarty on Wednesday morning when he withdrew his previous innocent plea.

Phillips then entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

"The defense asked for further time to have him examined by mental experts," said Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Abbi Silver, who is prosecuting the case.

Silver also is seeking to have Phillips examined by an independent mental health expert.

"It's basically going to mean another delay," Silver said. "We are probably looking at a trial at the end of January or February."

Wynn has said he doesn't even know Phillips.

According to both court documents and prior proceedings, Phillips claims to be Wynn's half-brother. Authorities have alleged that between September of 2000 and June of 2001, Phillips attempted to contact Wynn numerous times.

Phillips believes that Wynn and he share the same father and that he is entitled to money as a result, court records indicate.

"If Mr. Wynn did not give him (Phillips) $50 million, he would kill him," Silver wrote in one court motion.

Phillips is charged with 18 counts of extortion, one count of aggravated stalking and one count of attempting to dissuade a witness from testifying.

Court documents also state that Phillips has claimed he once dated Tipper Gore and that he is also a friend of the Clinton family. In addition, he has said he was going to write songs for country music star Alan Jackson.