Friday, April 3, 1998 | 9:59 a.m.
A Clark County grand jury launched an investigation Thursday into the betting activities of Billy Walters, a politically connected professional gambler and golf course developer.
The investigation reportedly focuses on allegations Walters violated state and federal laws by placing wagers with illegal bookmakers as far away as New York.
Deputy Attorney General David Thompson and Metro Police intelligence detectives are conducting the probe, which stems from a December 1996 raid of Walters and his Sierra Sports Consulting business in Las Vegas.
More than $1 million was said to have been seized in the raid that coincided with similar court-approved searches by authorities in New York.
Attorney Richard Wright, who represents Walters, refused comment Thursday.
"I have no comment whatsoever," Wright said.
By law, a target of a county grand jury must be informed in writing of the investigation before evidence is presented to the panel. Wright would not say whether Walters has been notified.
Walters, who developed the $12 million Desert Pines Golf Course for the City of Las Vegas, consistently has maintained that he is a lawful sports bettor.
In 1990, he was indicted by a federal grand jury with a dozen others in the FBI's well-publicized Computer Gang sports betting probe. But following a lengthy trial in 1992, Walters and the rest of the defendants all were acquitted. Several influential Las Vegans who placed bets with the group were given immunity to testify during the trial.
Wright said Walters did not want to comment Thursday.
Law enforcement officers contend Walters runs one of the biggest sports betting operations in the country, doing millions of dollars worth of business a year. He is said to have more than a dozen employees.
At least one New York detective reportedly was called before the county grand jury Thursday to testify about the December 1996 raid on the Walters operation.
No action was expected to be taken by the grand jury this week.
The attorney general's office is overseeing the investigation because District Attorney Stewart Bell disqualified his office early in the probe.
Bell said today he removed his office because his 20-year-old son, Stephen, worked for Walters at Desert Pines.
"When the investigation commenced, we immediately brought the conflict to Metro and put them in touch with the attorney general who assumed the prosecution responsibility," Bell said.
Bell said his son quit his job a week ago.
Walters, who owns several golf courses in Las Vegas and around the country, has been a major contributor to political campaigns in Southern Nevada in recent years.
In May 1996, he hosted a fund-raiser for county commissioners Yvonne Atkinson Gates, Bruce Woodbury and Paul Christensen. Christensen later lost his re-election bid.
Walters also has contributed to the campaigns of several judicial candidates.
And recently, Walters and his companies donated more than $30,000 to the gubernatorial campaign of Kenny Guinn, the leading Republican contender.
The Guinn campaign declined comment late Thursday.
Walters struck up a relationship with the city a couple of years ago, when he entered into a deal to develop the 98-acre Desert Pines course at Nature Park. He leases the land from the city.
Last year, Walters signed an agreement with the city to develop another golf course on 120 acres in southeastern Las Vegas.
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