Suspended Judge Jones inks plea deal in fraud case

Suspended Family Court Judge Steven Jones has signed an agreement with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to participating in a $3 million investment fraud scheme.

His lawyer, Robert Draskovich, confirmed that Jones on Friday signed the agreement, which calls for him to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

As part of the deal, Jones will resign from the bench and give up his law license after he pleads guilty in federal court.

Prosecutors have agreed not to ask for more than 27 months in prison for the longtime judge at his sentencing, Draskovich said.

“He’s looking forward to putting this behind him,” Draskovich said Monday.

The deal is not binding until Jones accepts it in court. Jones could face a dozen years in prison if he goes to trial at the end of the month and is convicted in the decade-long scheme, which prosecutors allege began in 2002.

Natalie Collins, spokeswoman for the Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office, declined comment on the plea deal.

The electronic court docket does not show an entry or date for Jones’ change of plea.

Jones and five others, including his former brother-in-law Thomas Cecrle, were indicted by a Las Vegas federal grand jury in late October 2012.

Jones, 56, first elected to the bench in 1992, was suspended with pay by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline following the indictment. He did not run for re-election, and his term expires at the end of the year.

The indictment alleged that between September 2002 and October 2012, the defendants persuaded people to lend them money under the guise of quick repayment with high interest rates. The defendants indicated they needed the money to secure valuable property and water rights, including land on the Strip.

Jones is accused of using the power of his office to further the decade-long scheme and intervening on Cecrle’s behalf to prevent or delay legal processes against him.

Cecrle, 56, was released from federal custody in June while he awaits trial, but he has been accused of violating the terms of his release.

Last month, a minor player in the scheme, Ashlee Martin, 30, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit money laundering under a pretrial diversion agreement. If she abides by the terms of her release over the next year, the charge will be dismissed.

Her plea agreement calls for her to cooperate with federal prosecutors.

Another co-defendant, Constance Fenton, is to plead guilty on Wednesday.

That leaves Cecrle and two other defendants, Terry Wolfe and Mark Hansen, to stand trial Sept. 30 before U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey. They face conspiracy, fraud and money laundering charges.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find him on Twitter: @JGermanRJ.