Charges against four in CSN case upheld

A judge Monday upheld felony charges against a College of Southern Nevada facilities employee accused of stealing college building materials to help build his million-dollar house near Mount Charleston.

District Judge Donald Mosley also upheld felony charges against William "Bob" Gilbert's three co-defendants, construction manager Thad Skinner, facilities manager Matthew Goins and building construction inspector George Casal.

During the hearing, Mosley chastised CSN police for a "slipshod" investigation into the allegations against Gilbert. CSN police investigated the allegation after the Las Vegas Sun published stories about Gilbert, but the findings essentially tried to clear him and the others, Mosley said.

"It (CSN police's investigation) was self-serving," Mosley said. "It lacked entirely any credibility."

The college can't comment on ongoing cases, said CSN spokeswoman K.C. Brekken.

The case centers on building materials and equipment alleged to belong to the college that were found at Gilbert's house near Mount Charleston. Authorities claim he and the co-defendants took the construction-grade material and equipment so that Gilbert could build his house.

The co-defendants worked on Gilbert's house when they should have been working at the college, authorities said.

The defendants are on paid administrative leave from the college.

On Monday, defense attorneys claimed that prosecutors failed to turn over evidence that they contend would have cleared their clients; that the state attorney general's lead investigator, Anthony Ruggiero, lied in front of a Clark County grand jury; and that several of the defendants had permission from the college to work at Gilbert's house.

Joe Sciscento, who represents Casal, told the judge that past CSN Presidents Ron Remington and Richard Carpenter provided letters to authorities stating that his client had permission to work on college-related work at Gilbert's house.

The past presidents also gave Gilbert permission to work from home on college-related tasks and allowed him to use CSN equipment at his house, said John Momot, Gilbert's attorney.

Chief Deputy Attorney General Conrad Hafen said authorities caught Casal at Gilbert's house riding a piece of machinery taken from the college.

Mosley didn't call that a smoking gun, but he said, "The odor of gun powder is in the air."

The issue involving Ruggiero, however, was left unresolved.

Defense attorneys claimed Ruggiero lied to a grand jury when he stated that Goins saw other people working at Gilbert's house. Goins' attorney, Frank Cremen, called this "false testimony."

Mosley told the defendants he would listen to transcripts of interviews between their clients and Ruggiero to see what the investigator said before the grand jury.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.