LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas police officer and his wife will be released from jail after their arrests in connection with an alleged commercial fraud scheme.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Officer Antonio Chavez made his initial court appearance Thursday morning after his arrest on suspicion of theft, burglary and perjury.
Prosecutors allege that Chavez and his wife conspired with a third party in California "in a multi-thousand-dollar commercial fraud scheme" that defrauded stores and credit card companies, "all for personal gain."
"He knew better. He knows what the law is, and he knows that he violated the law willfully because he wanted to enrich himself and his family," prosecutors said in court.
Robert Draskovich, who confirmed to the court he’s been retained as Chavez's lawyer, told the judge “he’s 28, he has no criminal history whatsoever, no failures to appear.”
The judge said that given the nonviolent nature of the alleged crimes, monetary bail is not necessary. Given prosecutors' allegations about a third-party co-conspirator in California, she said Chavez should be placed on high-level electronic monitoring.
Michael Horvath, who works at the same law firm as Draskovich, is representing the officer’s wife, Claudia Guzman Marquez, who is a co-defendant in the case. Prosecutors said “she’s equally culpable and she made equal admissions” about the alleged crimes.
The judge released her from custody after discussion around her health, as she is six months pregnant. She will have a court-issued phone that will track her movements via GPS to ensure she stays in the jurisdiction.
Both Chavez and Guzman Marquez are due back in court on October 8.
