Ghost Of Old
Soldier Takes Revenge
On Politician, And Private
Guardian
From his grave, a 95 year
old WW2 hero exposes
ex-Nevada Attorney General
Catherine Cortez Masto
and her ties to embattled
for-hire guardian Jared Shafer
This is yet another misleading ad by the billionaire Koch
Brothers whose
attacks on Catherine Cortez Mastos record as Attorney
General have
been called false by fact checkers. -
Zach Hudson, spokesperson for Catherine Cortez Masto
.
INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
August 29, 2016
LAS VEGAS - On a warm spring day in 2013,
I was invited to meet then-93 year old Guadalupe Olvera at his hilltop
home in Sun City Anthem overlooking the Las Vegas Strip.
Mr.
Olvera was there to list his fully-paid-for 3,000 square foot house with
a realtor. The house was his last remaining asset from an exploitative
guardianship that would later become the basis of a $1.2 million dollar
political advertising battle for the about-to-be vacated U.S. Senate seat
of Harry Reid.
Olvera explained that he was going to
sell the house before his court appointed private guardian Jared E. Shafer
could transfer title to himself and sell the property against Olvera's
will as Shafer has done for his other "wards" in the past. Or as Mr. Olvera
lamented, move in his own family to enjoy the home Olvera and his late
wife Carmela had saved a life time for and planned to live in during their
twilight years, especially because as Olvera joked, it was a "much better
house than his."
Up until the day I first met him in his
home, most of Olvera's liquid assets totaling over $420,000 had been drained
by Shafer and his attorneys with the approval of Clark County Family Court
Judge Charles Hoskin and his appointed Hearing Master Jon Norheim, that's
until a California Superior Court Judge put a stop to the exploitation
and terminated Shafer's years-long control of Olvera's person and assets.
My February 25, 2013 AmericanMafia.com
story GUADALUPE
OLVERA'S WAR told of Mr. Olveras battle to regain his civil rights.
Three years earlier, Olvera had violated Shafer's orders and moved back
to Santa Cruz, County, California to spend his remaining years with his
family. In retaliation, Shafer had Judge Hoskin issue a Contempt of Court
arrest warrant for Olvera's daughter. Meanwhile, Jared Shafer and his lawyers
embarked on a mission to drain all of Olveras liquid assets, Shafer
charging $250 per hour to read emails, and paying high priced Las Vegas
attorneys to try to force the old soldier to return to Nevada where he
had no family or friends.
The story of Olveras plight began to
inspire news coverage as Shafer bled the elderly gentleman's trust and
attempted to gain title to his plush home on the hillside in Henderson.
In the meantime, calls and letters went out to then-Nevada Attorney General
Catherine Cortez Masto from Olveras only living relative Becky Schultz
and others asking the AG to intervene and stop the exploitation. They were
in response to Cortez Masto's website that said the AG would stop elder
abuse and exploitation. Nonetheless, the AG refused to help Olvera and
other wards of Shafer. This became the basis for last weeks Associated
Press stories published in newspapers across the nation about a well documented
political TV ad exposing Cortez Masto turning away guardianship victim's
complaints. This during her highly contested race for national political
office.
POLITICAL TV AD and BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
https://fpaction.org/freedom-partners-launches-new-ad-showing-how-catherine-cortez-masto-let-down-nevada-seniors/
On August 25, 2016, the Associated
Press reported, "Olveras daughter
wrote to Cortez Masto in December 2011, asking for help terminating the
guardianship relationship. The attorney generals office responded in March
2012 by saying it didn't have jurisdiction over the complaint and suggesting
the daughter contact veterans groups or the Commission on Judicial Discipline
for help, according to backup documentation."
However, in 2012 the AG's website clearly
boasted: The truth is: Catherine Cortez Masto was committed to protecting
seniors as Nevadas Attorney General. She drafted legislation that eventually
became law to crack down on the abuse of seniors by private guardians.
After learning of Cortez-Masto's refusal
to help Mr. Olvera in 2012, I intervened based on my long-term friendship
with her late father Manny Cortez.
In 1979, then-Clark County Commission
Chairman Manny Cortez was a close personal friend of Jared Shafer and helped
appoint him to his first public guardian position with Clark County.
Prior to that appointment, Shafer was
an executive with ROM AMER PHARMACEUTICALS LTD., a company that drew the
attention of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for "Proposed
Sale of Unregistered Securities by Individuals." The company peddled a
Romanian made cure-all called "Gerovital H3" mainly to senior citizens
promising it was an effective anti-aging treatment and antidepressant.
While Shafer was running Rom-Amer in Las
Vegas, he had his first brush with federal authorities. The SEC on March
25, 1977 announced "TRADING SUSPENDED IN ROM-AMER PHARMACEUTICALS, LTD."
The SEC Press Release stated: "suspension
of exchange and over-the-counter trading in the securities of Rom Amer
Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (Rom-Amer), a California corporation located in Las
Vegas, Nevada."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Consumer Magazine wrote: "No health claims for Gerovital have been
substantiated, and FDA considers it an unapproved new drug. It has caused
low blood pressure, respiratory difficulties, and convulsions in some users."After
Shafer abruptly left Rom-Amer, the FDA banned Gerovital H3 from interstate
commerce as an unapproved injectable drug and prohibited its importation."
Jared Shafer needed a job, so he turned
to his friend Manny Cortez. From his seat on the Clark County Commission,
Cortez created a new position custom designed for Shafer entitled Clark
County Public Guardian. After all, Shafer did gain experience with
senior citizens while promoting his unapproved cure-all drug!
Within a short time after his appointment,
Shafer made headlines in the Los Angeles Times for his questionable activities
as guardian. He began being accused of ripping off elderly or disabled
wards of the county Family Court system. He apparently was doing so with
the full approval of Family Court Judges while Commissioner Cortez turned
a blind eye throughout the years until his death in 2006.
Cortez daughter Catherine was elected
Nevada Attorney General in 2007, and served until 2015 during the time
Olvera and others were being exploited by Shafer. Prior to that,
her father got her a job as Assistant Clark County Manager.
Becky Schultz complaint was answered
by Cortez Masto on March 20, 2012.
| Dear Ms. Schultz:
Thank you for taking the time to write to the State of Nevada, Office
of Attorney General. This letter is in response to your recent correspondence
that was received in our office on January 25, 2012.
Your correspondence references Mr. Jared E. Shafer of Professional
Fiduciary Services of Nevada.
Please note the Office of the Attorney General does not have legal jurisdiction
over your complaint. This office represents various state agencies, boards,
and/or commissions charged with a duty to enforce our state laws, and Nevada
law prohibits this office from rendering legal assistance and/or providing
legal advice to anyone other than our assigned agencies, boards, and/or
commissions. Therefore, this office is prohibited from rendering legal
advice or opinions to private citizens.
Sincerely,
CATHERINE CORTEZ-MASTO Attorney General |
Following the cursory dismissal of Schultz'
complaint based on her office not rendering free "legal advice to private
citizens," something Schultz certainly did not ask for, I authored a second
complaint to Cortez-Masto giving further detail about the exploitation
of Olvera. Soon thereafter I received a telephone call from an intern
in the AG's office.
The young man told me that the AG "lacked
jurisdiction to investigate Mrs. Shafer." I told him my complaint was against
"Mr. Shafer." He persisted. "This office will not pursue the matter
against Mrs. Shafer any further," and ended the conversation.
Lacked jurisdiction? "Mrs. Shafer?"
Another complaint against (Mr.) Shafer
met the same fate, It was filed on August. 6, 2009 by Charles Pascal, son
in law of exploited
senior citizen Marcy DuDeck:
"Hi Steve: I filed a complaint with
Catherine Cortez Masto on August 6, 2009 regarding Marcy DuDeck's kidnapping.
The complaint was against guardian Jared E Shafer. I was told that
the AG considered matters involving guardians to be strictly a family matter
and refused to take my report or help me file a complaint.
I pointed out that under the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations someone in Masto's office should
be available to help me because I am legally blind. The staff member rudely
responded saying that if I continued to press this matter I could have
charges filed against me for phone harassment involving a public official.
My computer skills in 2009 were not at the point where they are today so
I hung up the phone.
Fast forward to 2016 and you uncovered
the fact that the LVPD was refusing to take reports about guardians.
Clark County's District Attorney had to warn police that they should be
taking reports about guardian abuse. Also remember in 2009
when our kidnapping occurred, no hot line for complaints existed.
Cortez Masto created a culture which
permeated throughout the state and encouraged officials not to take reports
about guardian criminal activity.
In 2011, I went to Carson City and testified
in front of a legislative committee. I believe the date was May 8.
Former assembly person Brooks Hokum set up the meeting. Several officials
told me that reports about guardian abuse hadn't reached them, but some
of them were aware a problem existed. - Charles Pascal
Regarding the jurisdiction of the state
Attorney General:
NRS 228.120 Indicates That The Nevada Attorney General May Conduct
Any Prosecutions In Any Court Of This State For A Violation Of Any Law
Of This State, When In His Or Her Opinion It Is Necessary. The Attorney
General may:
3. Appear in, take exclusive charge of and conduct
any prosecution in any court of this State for a violation of any law of
this State, when in his or her opinion it is necessary, or when requested
to do so by the Governor. (NRS 228.120)
Cortez-Masto's office definitely did have
jurisdiction to investigate Jared Shafer contrary to what she stated. To
prove the point, after she left office in 2015, her successor Adam Laxalt
immediately opened investigations against two Nevada private guardians
and succeeded in gaining felony convictions of both. He's currently
investigating Shafer.
Also, in direct contradiction to her excuse
about not having jurisdiction, Cortez Masto publicly claimed to have just
that power PRIOR to Charles Pascal or the Olvera family's request for help!
As Attorney General, Catherine Cortez
Masto was a leading figure in the fight against domestic violence and she
created a Senior Protection Unit to ensure investigators and prosecutors
had the tools to pursue those who abuse, neglect or exploit seniors, said
Zach Hudson, her campaign spokesman on August 26, 2016.
Also, from Cortez Masto's own website:
Cortez Masto Took A Personal Interest
In Elder Fraud And Worked To Pass Law Allowing AGs Office To Investigate
Senior Abuse, Neglect, And Exploitation. Cortez-Masto said she was raised
by her grandparents as well as her parents, and she takes a personal interest
in elder fraud. I saw how they were scammed quite often in our community
and so when I got into office, I was able to work with an assemblywoman
and pass a law for the first time allowing our office to investigate for
elder abuse, neglect and exploitation," she said. [Pahrump Valley Times,
4/23/10]
Two years later in 2012, the AG's website
proclaimed: The truth is: Catherine Cortez Masto was committed to protecting
seniors as Nevadas Attorney General. She drafted legislation that eventually
became law to crack down on the abuse of seniors by private guardians.
I guess Jared E. Shafer was not included
in her commitment to seniors.
To Cortez Masto's dismay, the following
Washington Times story is one of many published last week nationwide telling
of the plight of Guadalupe Olvera and Catherine Cortez-Masto's refusal
to help him and others: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/24/new-senate-ad-accuses-cortez-masto-of-failing-to-h/
According to sources, County District
Attorney Steve Wolfson is currently leading an in depth investigation of
Jared E. Shafer and Shafer's protege, private guardian April Parks. Parks
has since skipped town with the life savings of several of her court appointed
wards, but has been located in Pennsylvania where she recently declared
bankruptcy. When asked about Parks, Wolfson responded, "She can run, but
she can't hide. My office has jurisdiction over state lines," to the delight
of her victims and their families.
In all fairness, I will give the last
word to Ms. Cortez Mastos campaign team so they can try to rebut the above
facts:
KOCH BROTHERS
POLITICAL GROUP LAUNCHES OUTRAGEOUS AD CONTINUING HECK ALLIES PATTERN
OF FALSE ATTACKS AND OUTRIGHT LIES ABOUT CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO.
This is yet another
misleading ad by the billionaire Koch Brothers whose attacks on Catherine
Cortez Mastos record as Attorney General have been called false by fact
checkers, said Zach Hudson, spokesperson for Catherine Cortez Masto for
Senate. As Attorney General, Catherine Cortez Masto was a leading figure
in the fight against domestic violence, created a Senior Protection Unit
to ensure investigators and prosecutors had the tools to pursue those who
abuse, neglect or exploit seniors, and drafted legislation to crack down
on the abuse of seniors by private guardians. Its Congressman Hecks record
in Washington thats the issue in this campaign, taking money from Wall
Street speculators and then trying to hand over seniors retirement to
those same Wall Street banks who stand to make hundreds of billions in
fees.
INFORMATION:
Las Vegas "guardian" Jared E. Shafer
sued for "embezzling" $420,000.00
from 95 year old former "ward"
http://www.americanmafia.com/inside_vegas/8-11-14_Inside_Vegas.html
Escape was only option for an old
soldier trapped in guardian system
By COLTON LOCHHEAD
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
April 11, 2015
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/escape-was-only-option-old-soldier-trapped-guardian-system
MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.stevemiller4lasvegas.com/ShaferFinancialRecords2.html
http://stopguardianabuse.org/victim-profiles/lupe-olvera-nvca/
http://probateshark.blogspot.com/2014/07/under-color-of-law-exploiter-guardian.html
http://www.stopguardianabusenv.org/
http://www.reviewjournal.com/politics/election-2016/new-senate-ad-accuses-cortez-masto-failing-help-senior
AND:
https://www.gofundme.com/2a484auc
