Former Las Vegas Official Sentenced to 28 Years for Murder of Journalist
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, speaking after the sentencing, noted the severity of the sentence. “The judge couldn’t sentence him to any more time,” Wolfson remarked. “She gave him the maximum.” The sentence includes a minimum term of 20 years to life, extended by an additional eight years due to the aggravating factors.
The motive behind German’s murder stemmed from a series of articles he wrote in 2022, where he exposed misconduct and turmoil within Telles’ office, as well as a romantic relationship between Telles and a female employee. Telles, who at the time managed the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office, faced significant backlash and ultimately lost his primary election for a second term. Following German’s reporting, Telles was arrested, stripped of his position, and had his law license suspended.
At trial, Telles denied the charges, testifying that he was framed by a conspiracy involving various entities, including a real estate company, law enforcement, and DNA analysts. Despite his claims, substantial evidence led to his conviction, including DNA matching his profile found under German’s fingernails and surveillance footage showing a person in an outfit resembling Telles’. Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly argued that Telles killed German because “he didn’t like what Mr. German had written about him” and felt the reporting cost him his elected position. “This type of violence, this sort of political violence, is unacceptable and dangerous for a community as a whole,” Weckerly emphasized.
During the trial, evidence presented included footage of a person wearing a broad straw hat and an orange shirt, identified as the suspected killer, lurking near German’s residence on the day of the murder. Investigators later discovered a maroon SUV matching the description of a vehicle seen in the footage at Telles’ residence, as well as remnants of a straw hat and athletic shoe similar to those worn by the individual seen in the video.
After his conviction, Telles offered his condolences to German’s family but continued to deny responsibility for the crime. “I understand the desire to seek justice and hold somebody accountable for this,” he stated in court. “But I did not kill Mr. German.”
Telles’ defense attorney, Robert Draskovich, requested leniency from the court, mentioning that Telles intends to appeal. “The sentence was not surprising,” Draskovich said afterward. “We fulfilled our defense obligation. We parted on good terms. [Telles] preserved all his rights for appeal.” Draskovich subsequently withdrew from the case following the sentencing.
German’s death marked the only murder of a journalist in the United States in 2022, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which has documented 17 killings of media workers in the U.S. since 1992. He was a respected journalist with 44 years of experience reporting on crime, courts, and political corruption in Las Vegas.
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