Las Vegas NV Jan 17 2013 Former process server Maurice Carroll was sentenced Wednesday to a minimum of 37 months in prison for his conviction in a scheme to file false affidavits in Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas justice courts.
This came as a prosecutor revealed that police are investigating Carroll on a variety of new allegations, including identity theft, mortgage fraud, insurance fraud and theft from a public utility.
Carroll, 44, who is in custody, admitted to District Judge Elissa Cadish that he has used two identities since he left the Las Vegas police force 13 years ago.
In a rambled plea to avoid prison, Carroll showed no remorse and blamed his legal troubles on Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike Staudaher, who he said blew the criminal case against him out of proportion.
"We ran a legitimate business," Carroll said. "This was a total mistake."
But Cadish didn't buy his words, calling him a "predator" who took advantage of desperate people.
"I think the jury got it right," Cadish told Carroll. "I am convinced at your doing, sir, that you are where you are supposed to be."
Cadish was particularly concerned that Carroll appeared to have gotten witnesses to lie at his last trial in December.
A jury convicted Carroll last month of 17 felony forgery counts in the 2010 affidavits scheme following a weeklong trial.
Carroll was convicted in the same scheme in October 2010 of 17 counts of filing false court documents and one count of obtaining money under false pretenses.
Staudaher persuaded Cadish not to follow a state sentencing report recommending probation, accusing the former process server of leading a life of crime even while facing charges.
Carroll created a false identity for himself as Morris Ausbon with a relative's social security number, committed mortgage fraud and filed a $4,200 insurance claim under that identity, Staudaher alleged.
Carroll also used that identity to steal power from NV Energy for a cupcake business he ran out of his garage, according to Staudaher.
In January, detectives raided a home Carroll bought under the Ausbon name with a woman looking for evidence of the alleged crimes, court papers show,
The charges in the 2010 courthouse scheme focused on phony affidavits Carroll was accused of putting together in civil cases involving one of his clients, debt collector Richland Holdings.
Carroll was accused of failing to serve documents in 17 Richland Holdings cases in May and June 2010, though he certified them as served in Justice Court affidavits. At the time, he ran an unlicensed process serving company called On Scene Mediations.
As a consequence, people named in the affidavits were not notified they were being sued.
Justice Court officials think Carroll's company, which no longer is serving documents, might have affected thousands of cases over a period of years.
source-las vegas review-journal
This came as a prosecutor revealed that police are investigating Carroll on a variety of new allegations, including identity theft, mortgage fraud, insurance fraud and theft from a public utility.
Carroll, 44, who is in custody, admitted to District Judge Elissa Cadish that he has used two identities since he left the Las Vegas police force 13 years ago.
In a rambled plea to avoid prison, Carroll showed no remorse and blamed his legal troubles on Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike Staudaher, who he said blew the criminal case against him out of proportion.
"We ran a legitimate business," Carroll said. "This was a total mistake."
But Cadish didn't buy his words, calling him a "predator" who took advantage of desperate people.
"I think the jury got it right," Cadish told Carroll. "I am convinced at your doing, sir, that you are where you are supposed to be."
Cadish was particularly concerned that Carroll appeared to have gotten witnesses to lie at his last trial in December.
A jury convicted Carroll last month of 17 felony forgery counts in the 2010 affidavits scheme following a weeklong trial.
Carroll was convicted in the same scheme in October 2010 of 17 counts of filing false court documents and one count of obtaining money under false pretenses.
Staudaher persuaded Cadish not to follow a state sentencing report recommending probation, accusing the former process server of leading a life of crime even while facing charges.
Carroll created a false identity for himself as Morris Ausbon with a relative's social security number, committed mortgage fraud and filed a $4,200 insurance claim under that identity, Staudaher alleged.
Carroll also used that identity to steal power from NV Energy for a cupcake business he ran out of his garage, according to Staudaher.
In January, detectives raided a home Carroll bought under the Ausbon name with a woman looking for evidence of the alleged crimes, court papers show,
The charges in the 2010 courthouse scheme focused on phony affidavits Carroll was accused of putting together in civil cases involving one of his clients, debt collector Richland Holdings.
Carroll was accused of failing to serve documents in 17 Richland Holdings cases in May and June 2010, though he certified them as served in Justice Court affidavits. At the time, he ran an unlicensed process serving company called On Scene Mediations.
As a consequence, people named in the affidavits were not notified they were being sued.
Justice Court officials think Carroll's company, which no longer is serving documents, might have affected thousands of cases over a period of years.
source-las vegas review-journal