Disbarred attorney facing theft charges held on no bail

Charles Radosevich, a disbarred lawyer who fled Las Vegas on the eve of his theft trial three months ago, was ordered held on no bail Monday at the Clark County Detention Center.

Radosevich, 62, was extradited to Las Vegas from Phoenix last week to face felony charges of forging court documents and stealing more than $200,000 from people who hired him for legal services.

Authorities took him into custody at a Phoenix airport after he got off a flight from Costa Rica, according to a bounty hunter who returned him to Las Vegas. Previous reports had him coming from Mexico.

The bounty hunter said Radosevich told him he ran out of money after partying in Costa Rica and was on his way to visit relatives in Iowa when he was arrested.

At a brief hearing here on Monday, District Judge David Barker set a Feb. 14 trial date for Radosevich, who said he wanted to defend himself in court. Radosevich told Barker that he has 20 years of experience in criminal law.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike Staudaher said after the hearing that authorities are considering an additional criminal case against Radosevich, who is not licensed to practice law in Nevada.

Prosecutors believe Radosevich, who is disbarred in Colorado and Nebraska, was forging documents and stealing money from unsuspecting clients -- even after being charged in his current case.

His scheme is alleged to have involved preparing authentic-looking phony court documents, some of which included forged signatures of judges and time stamps.

At the request of the Nevada State Bar, prosecutors filed criminal charges against Radosevich in October 2009, and added new charges in April after learning about more victims. The current charges involve about 12 victims.

But authorities said still more victims have been discovered since April.

The State Bar has kept tabs on Radosevich since 2000, when it got him to sign a court-approved agreement promising, among other things, not to provide legal services in divorce, personal injury, immigration and bankruptcy cases.