HOA defendant jailed until sentencing
Senior U.S. District Judge Philip Pro told Angela Esparza on Tuesday that her own "stupidity and selfishness" left him no choice but to keep her behind bars while she awaits sentencing in the government's sweeping homeowners association investigation.
Esparza, 24, who pleaded guilty and is cooperating with the government in the investigation, has been in local custody since March 30, when she was arrested for soliciting prostitution at Treasure Island, Pro said during a hearing.
Pro described Esparza's conduct as "abysmal" after her plea in October to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. She also has failed random drug tests and faced warrants over a series of traffic violations, Pro said.
Charles La Bella, the lead Justice Department lawyer prosecuting the case, sought Esparza's release so she could have "one more chance" to cooperate with prosecutors as they prepare to seek indictments in the high-profile investigation into fraud and corruption at Las Vegas Valley homeowners associations.
He called Esparza's local arrest a "complication" in the federal case but said she still would be called as a witness at trial.
Her lawyer, Jonathan Powell, told Pro that Esparza was never charged with prostitution after her arrest, and he urged the judge to fashion conditions for her release that included GPS monitoring and staying away from people in the prostitution business.
But Pro decided Esparza needed to be in federal custody, saying she cannot be supervised. He is to sentence her Sept. 24.
"This is really ridiculous," Pro told Esparza. "You don't have the right to hold hostage the legal process because you're going to cooperate."
Esparza, who has two young children, was a community management company employee who admitted in October that she helped rig homeowners association elections.
She is one of 11 defendants who entered guilty pleas in the massive scheme to stack homeowners association boards with members who steered legal and construction contracts to favored firms. A dozen homeowners associations have been dragged into the investigation.
An additional 14 defendants are to plead guilty May 31 to conspiracy charges before U.S. District Judge James Mahan. Retired Las Vegas police Lt. Ben Kim also is to enter a guilty plea May 31 in a bank fraud scheme tied to the homeowners association investigation.
Esparza was paid to help fix elections at Park Avenue in the south valley, Vistana in the southwest, Chateau Nouveau in the southwest, Pebble Creek in the southeast and other condominium complexes, according to federal court documents in her case
Her jailing comes amid the deaths of lawyers Nancy Quon and David Amesbury, two key figures in the investigation.
The body of Quon, who specialized in construction defect cases, was found in the bathtub of her Henderson condominium March 20. Authorities have alleged that Quon and former construction boss Leon Benzer were behind the far-reaching scheme.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.
