Pair ask court to dismiss charges in suspicious fire
Lawyers for construction defects lawyer Nancy Quon and William Ronald Webb, a former police officer, filed court papers Wednesday seeking to dismiss an indictment charging the couple in a suspicious October 2010 fire at Quon's home.
Attorneys Thomas Pitaro and John Momot argued prosecutors abused the grand jury process by obtaining an indictment related to the fire from a new grand jury after a previous panel refused to charge the couple with arson and insurance fraud.
The lawyers also argued that District Judge Linda Bell "abused her discretion" by allowing prosecutors to resubmit the case.
Pitaro filed separate court papers seeking evidence a prosecutor used in court in August to allege that Quon was getting leaks from the Nevada U.S. attorney's office in a separate federal investigation into corruption at homeowners associations.
Pitaro said he wants the court record corrected if there is no evidence to substantiate the comments of Chief Deputy District Attorney Sandra DiGiacomo.
"If this evidence exists, disclose it," Pitaro wrote. "If it does not exist, say so."
The leak allegations caused a rift between District Attorney David Roger and U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden, who called the allegations false and also demanded that the court record be corrected.
Roger's office declined to correct any statements made by DiGiacomo.
The Justice Department conducted an investigation into the allegations of leaks at the U.S. attorney's office but dropped the probe at the end of August without filing any charges.
About that time, Justice Department lawyers from Washington, who had taken over the homeowners investigation, were preparing to file plea agreements with targets in the case.
The U.S. attorney's office had removed itself from the investigation to avoid a possible conflict of interest.
Quon, 51, is a target of the investigation but has not been charged.
Quon faces five felony charges in the Aug. 17 local indictment, however. The charges include first-degree arson, conspiracy to commit arson and insurance fraud stemming from the Oct. 28, 2010, fire, which caused $250,000 to $300,000 in damage to her Rhodes Ranch home.
The district attorney's office alleges Quon set the fire in a botched suicide attempt and participated in another suicide plot that involved obtaining illegal drugs, all in an effort to escape the pressure of the federal homeowners association investigation.
Quon, who is free on bail, has denied setting the fire and trying to kill herself.
Contact reporter Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.
