Nye County assistant sheriff faces charge in campaign signs case

A Nye County sheriff’s candidate faces a criminal charge after removing political campaign signs in April, the Nevada attorney general’s office announced Wednesday.

Assistant Sheriff Rick Marshall, 56, faces one count of injury to property, a misdemeanor, after a video showed him taking down signs that urged Nye County residents to vote for another candidate, according to a news release from Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. Marshall came in second among 10 candidates in the June 10 primary election to replace Sheriff Tony DeMeo in the November runoff. He faces first-place finisher Sharon Wehrly in the November runoff.

The signs, that read “Anybody but Rick for Sheriff,” belonged to a political action committee, Citizens to Elect an Ethical Nye County Sheriff. Committee president Steven Lee told Nye sheriff’s deputies he suspected Marshall and long-time sheriff’s volunteer, Ben Gulley, 76, of stealing and destroying dozens of his political signs.

Marshall’s Nye County colleagues initially booked him and Gulley on one count each of conspiracy to commit a crime and possession of stolen property. Marshall faced an additional count of resisting arrest. Those charges were dropped after the attorney general took over prosecution.

It is unclear whether Gulley will face charges in the attorney general’s case.

Marshall was found with three of the signs, according to the attorney general, and they cost about $3 a piece. The maximum fine for injury to property of less than $25 in damage is a $500 fine.

Marshall is scheduled for a Sept. 9 court appearance. His attorney, Josh Tomsheck, said in an email to the Pahrump Valley Times that he expects Marshall’s injury to property charge to be dropped that day.

Contact reporter Cassandra Taloma at ctaloma@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381.