Fraud probe led to judge

Rachael Levy

Thursday, April 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The investigation of District Judge Gerard Bongiovanni began as the run-of-the-mill fraud case, FBI Special Agent Jerry Hanford said.

Authorities were investigating three men on suspicion of theft and money laundering. One of those men was Paul Dottore, a 52-year-old Henderson car salesman and friend of Bongiovanni.

In an effort to get evidence that would allow the FBI to charge Dottore, Terry Salem and others with the illegal withdrawal of $180,000 from a deceased woman's bank account, authorities wiretapped Dottore's Las Vegas house, the affidavit said.

While eavesdropping, the FBI said it learned that Bongiovanni was allegedly accepting bribes for favorable treatment of court cases.

In September 1994, FBI agents asked Salem to become a government informant. He agreed to work undercover to get Bongiovanni to accept another bribe, the affidavit said.

As part of the scenario, the Clark County district attorney's office indicted Salem on charges of forgery and obtaining money under false pretenses, the FBI said. Salem went to Dottore, who referred him to Bongiovanni's friend and former campaign manager, attorney Peter Flangas.

Later, Dottore allegedly told Salem "he would need $2,000 for Flangas and $5,000 for Bongiovanni in order to eventually get the case dismissed," the affidavit said.

In January 1995, a video camera allegedly recorded Salem handing Dottore $2,500. That same month, the FBI said it intercepted a conversation in which Bongiovanni allegedly asked about the bribe and indicated he needed the money for a mortgage payment.

The affidavit said the FBI planned to give Salem $1,000, in 10 marked $100 bills, to be used as a second installment to the judge.

After the money was delivered, the FBI planned to approach Dottore and ask him to cooperate with the investigation, the affidavit said. If Dottore refused, the FBI said it would search Bongiovanni's home to recover the money.

On Oct. 17, 1995, the FBI obtained a warrant to search the judge's home. According to sources, agents found at least five of the marked $100 bills.

The original investigation into illegal bank withdrawals also resulted in an indictment that was unsealed Wednesday. It accused Dottore; John "Jack" Jerdan, 69; and Daniel Womack, 61.