Indicted official has embezzling conviction

A top College of Southern Nevada official indicted Thursday on felony theft charges had previously been convicted of embezzling from a California Indian tribe, federal court records show.

William "Bob" Gilbert, CSN's associate vice president for facilities management, is accused of stealing materials and equipment from the school to help build his Mount Charleston home. The offenses took place between 2002 and 2007, according to the indictment.

College officials said they were unaware of Gilbert's conviction, but Gilbert said he believed they did know about it.

"At the time of his hire in 1997, we did not pose any question regarding past criminal convictions to potential hires," school spokeswoman K.C. Brekken said in an e-mail. "We incorporated questions about previous criminal convictions into the application process in 2001."

Gilbert denied the latest allegations and said the previous conviction was no secret.

"I welcome the opportunity to prove no wrongdoing," Gilbert said.

Gilbert pleaded guilty in 1991 to a charge of embezzling from an Indian tribal organization. He was sentenced to three months in prison and three years probation and ordered to pay $18,705 in restitution.

"It's something everybody's known," he said. "I've never denied it."

He declined to discuss the case in detail. More information about it was not immediately available as the case file has been archived, California court officials said.

In the current case, Gilbert is charged with 13 counts of theft and four counts of misconduct of a public officer.

Three other CSN employees were also indicted: Thad Skinner, construction manager, Matthew Goins, facilities manager, and George Casal, building construction inspector. Their salaries range from $65,000 to $74,000 annually.

Skinner faces 10 counts of being a principal to theft. Goins faces three counts of being a principal to theft and two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses. Casal faces two counts of obtaining money by false pretenses.

All 34 counts are felonies.

None of the employees was suspended from duty as of Friday afternoon, Brekken said.

"CSN will not make a decision concerning their immediate employment status until it has had a chance to meet and discuss the matter with them and others," she said.

Chief Deputy State Attorney General Conrad Hafen said subpoenas were issued Friday for Gilbert and Casal, who have retained attorneys, while warrants were issued for the arrest of Goins and Skinner, who do not have attorneys.

Gilbert and Casal are due to be arraigned Oct 8. Hafen expected Goins and Skinner to be arrested in a day or two.

"There was a lot of building material and CSN equipment that was missing from the college and discovered at Gilbert's home on Mount Charleston," Hafen said.

"Basically," he said, "he's using purchases by the college to build a large portion of his house."

The indictment alleges that Gilbert possessed or used numerous CSN resources, including:

• cinder block;

• a Manlift;

• a chain hoist;

• a paint sprayer;

• 2 by 4 boards;

• door knobs and locks;

• a forklift;

• and various building materials.

The indictment alleges that his three co-defendants helped Gilbert work on his home when they were supposed to be working for CSN or helped him steal supplies by picking them up at Home Depot or other stores and bringing them to his house. The supplies were charged to CSN's account, according to the indictment.

Gilbert acknowledged that he had CSN materials at his house, and that the employees may have helped him at times, but he denied he did anything wrong.

He said that because CSN has no central maintenance facility, he frequently used his home as a base of operations for maintenance and repair. He was backed up by two former CSN presidents in that assertion.

"There was nowhere at the college you could do that," Gilbert said. "They didn't have the facilities."

Gilbert said he sometimes took CSN materials and equipment to his house and sometimes used his own tools or equipment in his repair duties.

He never, he said, kept CSN materials or equipment for his own use.

Gilbert, who is paid $147,204 a year, described one instance in which he was asked to quickly repair risers on a portable stage. He said he brought portions home and made repairs in time for a scheduled event.

Richard Carpenter, who was president of CSN from 2004 to 2007, including the time of that incident, recalled the incident similarly.

Carpenter said, however, that he was unaware of Gilbert ever asking for reimbursement.

Carpenter, who is now chancellor of the Lone Star College System in Texas, said he believes Gilbert is innocent, but did not declare it absolutely.

"I believe the man is innocent," Carpenter said. "If I'm proven wrong, I'll concede."

Both Carpenter and former president Ron Remington wrote letters to the prosecutor in support of Gilbert.

Hafen said the letters didn't make a difference.

Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.