Dominic
Rizzolo Set Free Four Years Early
Charge dropped from Felony
to Gross Misdemeanor
with help from Vegas Judge
and District Attorney
.
.
Judge Jackie Glass
Dominic Rizzolo
District Attorney David Roger
INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
June 21, 2010
LAS VEGAS - Dominic Rizzolo, 26, son of
convicted racketeer Rick
Rizzolo, in January 2009 pleaded guilty to Battery With Use Of A Deadly
Weapon, a category B felony, after he stabbed a man in the chest during
a botched extortion attempt. He was given five years probation by Clark
County District Judge Jackie Glass.
According to the January 14, 2009 Las
Vegas Review-Journal, police said prosecutors should have considered
attempted murder and conspiracy charges
Dominic's prosecutor was Clark County District
Attorney David Roger, a long time friend of Rick Rizzolo and the Rizzolo's
family attorney Tony Sgro. Roger was the benefactor of a 2003
political fundraiser in the Rizzolo's Canyon Gate estate, and received
over $50,000 in campaign contributions based on Rick Rizzolo's efforts.
Sgro donated Roger's campaign headquarters in 2007 when Roger ran for reelection.
Dominic's judge was the honorable Jackie
Glass who is best known for presiding over the 2008, O.J. Simpson robbery
and kidnapping case. She's been described as a no-nonsense judge known
for tough sentences. Because "violent crimes are on the rise in most cities
across the nation," Glass tried to set an example by sentencing Simpson
to over 9 years in state prison -- even though he didn't cause his victims
physical harm (in that particular case).
Judge Glass is the wife of Las Vegas City
Councilman Steve Wolfson, a prominent local criminal defense attorney and
outgoing Mayor Oscar Goodman's choice as his successor in the upcoming
2011 mayoral election. Goodman, prior to his election in 1999, was Rick
Rizzolo's criminal defense attorney and corporate agent.
Dominic failed to appear at his arraignment
on October 13, 2009 -- nine months after the crime occurred!
Upon his no-show, the court generously
gave Dominic twenty additional days in which to appear. When he finally
showed up, he plead guilty to the following criminal act as described by
his victim almost a year earlier.
At approximately
10 PM, January 21, 2008, Dominic Rizzolo drove to William Moyer's home
in a dark colored SUV with the license place covered by a T-shirt.
As an indicator
of premeditation, Moyer, 26, had received a phone call on the night
of the incident asking if he was staying home that evening? Fifteen minutes
later, Rizzolo knocked at his door.
Moyer's mother
answered the door and summoned her son. The two men conversed on the front
lawn for several minutes until Rizzolo asked Moyer, "Do you know who my
family is?" then demanded $20,000.
Moyer said he
refused the demand and ordered Rizzolo off the property. Rizzolo struck
Moyer in the face with his fist. A fight ensued in which Rizzolo pulled
a six inch switch blade knife and stabbed Moyer in the upper abdomen.
Rizzolo fled the
scene, and was arrested six weeks later at the home of a family friend
in west Las Vegas where he was staying. Rizzolo was booked, then immediately
released on his own recognizance. His attorney later posted $13,000 bail.
Acting on a tip, police arrested Dominic
while he was staying at a Summerlin estate owned by Rick Rizzolo's god
son Rick Belcastro.
It's not known whether Belcastro knew that his house guest was being sought
by police for over six weeks.
http://courtgate.coca.co.clark.nv.us:8490/DistrictCourt/asp/SearchPartyOptions.asp
(Type in Rizzolo, Dominic)
Hospital records indicate Dominic Rizzolo's
blade came within one half inch of William Moyer's aorta. The law is very
clear about penalties that should result when a victim suffers substantial
bodily harm.
Nevada
Revised Statutes Section 200.481 - Crimes and Punishments - (2) Substantial
bodily harm to the victim results, for a category B felony by imprisonment
in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 2 years and a maximum
term of not more than 15 years, and may be further punished by a fine of
not more than $10,000.
Judge Glass ignored statutes and suspended
Dominic's sentence.
http://courtgate.coca.co.clark.nv.us:8490/DistrictCourt/asp/SearchPartyOptions.asp
(Type in Rizzolo, Dominic)
After she rendered her "sentence," Judge
Glass in open court and without being asked on the record to do so, volunteered
to Tony Sgro that she would lower Dominic's felony conviction to a gross
misdemeanor in one year if he stayed out of trouble.
Judge Glass then granted Sgro's request
that Dominic be allowed to relocate to Florida to serve out his sentence.
Sgro stated that Dominic was promised a job with Paramount
Hospitality, a time share and resort company founded by Marco
A. Manzie (a close friend of Rick Rizzolo).
Nine months after Dominic began serving
his five year suspended Florida sentence, Sgro filed a Motion asking Glass
to remove Dominic's community service requirement.
On September 15, 2009, with Dominic absent
from the courtroom, she dutifully obliged, and waived his five year community
service.
http://courtgate.coca.co.clark.nv.us:8490/DistrictCourt/asp/SearchPartyOptions.asp
(Type in Rizzolo, Dominic)
But that's not all that happened after
Dominic moved to the "Sunshine State." In the "Offense" block of
his Florida Department of Corrections record (below), his offense was mysteriously
lessened from "Battery With Use Of A Deadly Weapon," to "AGG. ASSLT-W/WPN
NO INTENT TO K," meaning Aggravated Assault With Weapon - No Intent to
Kill."
http://www.dc.state.fl.us/ActiveOffenders/detail.asp?Bookmark=1&From=list&SessionID=480464906(
(Type in Rizzolo, Dominic)
"NO INTENT TO KILL?" Since when does stabbing
a man in the upper abdomen with a switch blade knife indicate less than
lethal intent?
And, how did "Battery With Use Of A Deadly
Weapon" become "Aggravated Assault With Weapon - No Intent To Kill," a
much less serious charge?
When contacted by INSIDE VEGAS, Florida
probation authorities refused to comment on the mysterious new wording.
Their silence begs the question; did someone at the Florida Department
of Corrections have ties to Rick Rizzolo, or possibly Marco A. Manzie?
"Violent
crimes are on the rise in most cities across the nation. People convicted
of violent crimes have their prison sentences impacted by the harm done
to their victims." "Any person who uses a... deadly weapon... in the commission
of a crime shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a
term equal to and in addition to the term of imprisonment prescribed by
statute for the crime."
The above statement was taken directly
from the website
of Judge Glass' husband, criminal defense attorney Steve Wolfson (shown
on right shaking hands with his mentor Mayor Goodman). Evidently, the judge
does not pay attention to her husband's words!
As an example of the couple's difference
of opinion regarding criminal punishment, on June 17, 2010, Judge Glass
issued the following ORDERS granting Dominic a reduction in charges from
felony to gross misdemeanor, and terminating his probation three and one
half years early:
http://courtgate.coca.co.clark.nv.us:8490/DistrictCourt/asp/SearchPartyOptions.asp
(Type in Rizzolo, Dominic)
Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass,
along with her husband, have greater political aspirations. He wants to
be our next Mayor, and she has her sights set on a seat on the Nevada Supreme
Court.
However, before Judge Glass files for higher
office, she should carefully review the following CANON and RULE
from the Nevada Code
of Judicial Conduct:
CANON 1
A judge shall uphold and promote the independence, integrity, and impartiality
of the judiciary and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.
RULE 1.2
Promoting Confidence in the Judiciary: A judge shall act at all times in
a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity,
and impartiality of the judiciary and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance
of impropriety.
And based on the actions of Judge Jackie
Glass and DA David Roger, few will be surprised if getting away with attempted
murder is the last of Dominic Rizzolo's crimes.
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MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/1-12-09_Inside_Vegas.html
http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/2-2-09_Inside_Vegas.html
http://www.americanmafia.com/Inside_Vegas/9-21-09_Inside_Vegas.html
