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Public officials are not allowed to use their positions to enrich themselves, especially at the expense of the constituents who they are supposed to be serving. A public official is prohibited from asking for special favors or rewards in exchange for doing his or her job or in exchange for not carrying out a certain duty. If a public official violates the laws that prohibit the official from changing his job performance in exchange for rewards, or promises of rewards, the official can be charged with a serious crime.
There are many different criminal offenses found in Nevada’s criminal code in Chapter 197, which is the part of the criminal code that defines and punishes crimes committed by and against the executive power of the state of Nevada. One offense that is defined within this chapter is the crime of extortion.
If you are accused of extortion, you need to aggressively defend yourself from the serious charges that you are facing. You should work with LV Criminal Defense to develop a legal strategy for responding to charges. Our legal team has experience representing public officials accused of extortion or other misconduct in connection with their public service and our Las Vegas defense attorneys have the knowledge and skill necessary to help you effectively fight these serious charges. Give us a call to find out more about how our firm can help you to protect your career, reputation and future if you have been accused of extortion.
Nevada Revised Statute section 197.170 is the statute that defines extortion in the state of Nevada. According to the relevant law, a public employee can be found guilty of extortion if the official or employee asks for or receives a fee or other compensation in excess of what is allowed by state statute or in situations where a fee or compensation is not permitted by state statute. If a public official receives an impermissible fee for performing any official duties, for his employment, or for official services, he could be found guilty of an extortion offense.
A public employee could also be guilty of extortion if the official makes a request of anything of value — such as money or property — when not authorized by law, if the official makes the request of anyone who is regulated by the public officer or employee. A prosecutor must prove that the manner in which the request was made carried an express or implied threat that would cause a reasonable person to comply with the request to avoid the risk of adverse actions taken by the public employee.
A public employee who engages in any of these behaviors can be charged with a Category D felony and could face penalties including incarceration. Restitution is required when a public employee extorted money or other items of value.
Nick Wooldridge has a long track record of representing clients accused of serious federal and state crimes in Nevada.
Being accused of extortion can damage or end your career as a public servant and could result in you being incarcerated, owing large sums of money, or both. You do not want to take the risk that an accusation of extortion will lead to conviction, so you should reach out to get help from a Las Vegas criminal law attorney as soon as you have been accused.
LV Criminal Defense will carefully evaluate the evidence against you to help you determine if you can argue to have the case dropped or charges dismissed. We can work with you to build a defense or introduce doubt into the prosecutor’s case against you so you can hopefully earn an acquittal if your case goes to trial or we can help you to negotiate a favorable plea deal so you can reduce the possible penalties you face. To find out more about the help we can offer, give us a call today.
Crimes By and Against the Executive Power of This State