It seems as if the world owes Rick Rizzolo a living
This is a case that has not "promoted public respect for the law"

INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
January 31, 2011

LAS VEGAS - He lives rent free in a multi-million dollar mansion. His legal bills are paid by a good samaritan. He parties at Vegas' most exclusive venues; associates with felons; has no job, visible means of support, or disclosed savings; and he owes the IRS and a beating victim tens of millions of dollars.

All the while, convicted racketeer Rick Rizzolo is on parole serving out the last months of a four year sentence for income tax evasion. If his supervised release is not modified or revoked, Rizzolo will be a free man on April 1 of this year, and the government will lose its ability to enforce payment of the financial commitments Rizzolo made in exchange for a reduced one year prison sentence and three years of supervised release.

On February 16, Rick Rizzolo will be in United States District Court, District of Nevada with his expensive legal team to try to convince Judge Philip Pro not to send him back to prison for severe violations of the conditions of his release under the United States Code (for) Prisoners and Parolees.

The Petition was brought by United States Attorney for Nevada Daniel Bogden who believes the politically connected former owner of the Las Vegas and Philadelphia Crazy Horse Too topless bars is trying to "avoid his legal obligations," and that enforcing the conditions of his parole will have "promoted public respect for the law generally."

Bogden will be supported in Court by former Federal Prosecutors Donald Campbell and Stan Hunterton who are now the private attorneys for unpaid beating victim Kirk Henry. Henry's lawyers conducted an extensive investigation indicating that Rizzolo has been living like a rock star since he was released from prison in April 2008:

"Rick Rizzolo only deals in cash and money orders." "Obviously he operates in this manner because both forms of payment are untraceable."

Judge Pro will most likely be asked about the legality of Rizzolo's best friend Fred Doumani (left) paying for the services of Rizzolo's attorneys Paola Armeni and Dominic Gentile.
 
 

"Doumani paid Rizzolo's legal counsel $40,000 in what appears to be nothing more than another sham transaction."

       Rick Rizzolo                                                                                       Paola Armeni             Dominic Gentile

On April 26, 2010, the Court heard a request by the United States Probation Office to modify Rizzolo's conditions of supervised release to require him to begin making monthly payments toward the $9 million plus interest he owes Kirk Henry, and over $11 million plus interest Rizzolo owes the IRS.

Judge Pro approved the request and modified Rizzolo's Conditions of Supervised Release stating: "Petition to Modify Conditions of Supervised Release [278] is GRANTED. Mr. Rizzolo shall provide to the probation officer the financial information requested and shall commence paying the restitution obligations at a rate to be approved by the Court."

Rizzolo did not comply with Judge Pro's order to begin paying his restitution obligations, and continued living his "lavish" lifestyle.

On October 1, 2010, U.S. Attorney Bogden informed the Court: "In the instant case, the Government has no opposition to the Court initiating supervised release revocation proceedings based on information and materials contained in the Henrys' filing."

Then on October 27, 2010, the U.S. Attorney's Office filed a MOTION FOR JUDGMENT DEBTOR EXAMINATION that included the following Declaration stating Rizzolo has defaulted on paying his judgment.

At the February 16, 2011 Parole Violation hearing (INSIDE VEGAS will be there), Judge Pro will hear oral arguments from Rizzolo's legal team who claim that Rizzolo's "rights" are being violated, and that their client's plea bargained personal financial obligations should be dismissed because the Las Vegas Crazy Horse Too did not sell for enough to pay his court ordered debts.

However, if Judge Pro determines there is probable cause that Rizzolo violated the conditions of his release in contempt of the court, a bench warrant can be issued and Rizzolo taken into Federal custody directly from the courtroom.

Then, according to the U.S. Code (for) Prisoners and Parolees (page 212): "A local revocation hearing shall be held not later than sixty-five days from the retaking of the parolee on the parole violation warrant."

§ 2.103 REVOCATION HEARING PROCEDURE (a) (page 212) states: "The purpose of the revocation hearing shall be to determine whether the parolee has violated the conditions of his release and, if so, whether his parole or mandatory release should be revoked or reinstated."

If parole is revoked (as would certainly occur with someone lacking Rizzolo's political clout), Rizzolo may be sentenced to more time in prison. If his parole is reinstated, Rizzolo's term of supervised release may be extended beyond April 1, as long as he complies with his conditions and begins paying his legal obligations.

How ever it goes, the real outcome of the February 16 hearing will be to show whether this high profile and very politicized case has "promoted public respect for the law," or will it be allowed to continue making a total mockery of Nevada's Federal Court system.