Police arrested a key target in the criminal investigation into the misuse of Southwest Airlines gift cards bought by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Tourism
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Police executed a search warrant at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority offices Wednesday afternoon in a widening investigation into misuse of Southwest Airlines gift cards bought by the agency.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority tightened ethics, travel and gift card policies after several employees, including former CEO Rossi Ralenkotter, were caught using airline cards for personal trips.
A Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board member traveled around the world last year at the agency’s expense amid growing scrutiny over inappropriate spending and perks for its board.
Lawrence Weekly, the former board chairman of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, has agreed to pay nearly $2,400 in fines after violating the state ethics law for taking a personal trip with airline gift cards bought by the agency.
Police have obtained records under county grand jury subpoenas in their investigation of $90,000 in Southwest Airlines gift cards secretly purchased by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Retired Las Vegas tourism boss Rossi Ralenkotter said he did not intend to cash out his accrued paid time off, but newly released records show his attorney asked for more than $234,000 in untaken leave as part of a nearly $1.2 million severance package.
New Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill said Monday that the agency’s approach to spending and other business practices has not “kept up with the times.”
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Board sent CEO Rossi Ralenkotter into retirement Tuesday with a roaring applause, video tribute and $455,000 financial package.
Las Vegas tourism CEO Rossi Ralenkotter did not report nearly 200 hours of paid time off that he took while traveling on personal business using taxpayer-funded gift cards, records show.
Attorneys for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board have agreed to sweeten a pending deal for CEO Rossi Ralenkotter by upping his post-retirement consulting contract to $270,000 amid a police investigation of the agency.
With a looming public vote on a retirement package for Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Rossi Ralenkotter, a key board member said Friday he wants more details about the police investigation into the mishandling of $90,000 in Southwest Airlines gift cards.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Board on Tuesday will consider a lucrative retirement package and 18-month consulting contract for CEO Rossi Ralenkotter after being informed that police so far have not found any evidence of wrongdoing by him in their criminal investigation of the agency.
A Nevada assemblyman has joined those opposing a lucrative retirement buyout for embattled Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Rossi Ralenkotter, calling it a public “shakedown.”
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Rossi Ralenkotter is taking steps to collect a retirement settlement that could cost taxpayers tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, even as Las Vegas police conduct a criminal investigation into the tourism agency’s spending practices.