Owner of counseling service charged with falsely reporting mandated sessions

The owner of a state-licensed counseling service has been charged with six felonies, accused of filing false attendance records for defendants convicted of domestic violence.

Las Vegan Dana C. Brown, 51, who owns Diagnosticare in Henderson, faces three counts each of offering false instrument for filing and forgery.

An arrest report said defendants paid Brown to falsely report to courts, including Henderson Municipal Court, that they had attended mandatory counseling sessions. Henderson police learned of the scheme through victims of those defendants.

Police also learned Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa told the state attorney general's office that a defendant in her court paid Brown to falsely report his counseling service attendance. Brown denied the allegation.

A Henderson detective was sent to Diagnosticare, at 2904 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, under the guise of having to take domestic violence counseling .

"The feeling of the classroom was not one of encouraging men not to batter their partners, but more of a feeling of disgust for women and on how to avoid the police," according to the report.

After one session, the repor said, the undercover detective paid Brown for his remaining sessions in full and offered a $100 tip because he might have to miss some sessions . According to the report, Brown told the detective he did not have to attend any more sessions, but to stay out of trouble or the court would find out he was missing classes.

Over two months, records sent to Henderson Municipal Court showed the detective attended nine sessions with no absences.

Brown was set to appear before a Henderson justice of the peace today.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@review journal.com or 702-380-1039.