Poster issued for five of ten most wanted deadbeat dads

Monday, May 11, 1998 | 9:05 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- To coincide with Mother's Day, the state issued its new list of "10 Most Wanted" dads who have skipped out on child support with the highest owing $68,264.

Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa said her office and the state Welfare Division have combined since 1996 to issue the posters that are distributed nationwide.

Of the 27 people featured on the prior four posters, 16 have been found and $41,864 in back support collected.

"This is money that goes directly to help the well-being of children in our state who rely on financial support from non-custodial parents," Del Papa said.

Five of the ten "Most Wanted" are from Clark County. They are Tomas H. Cowles, 37, who owes $48,050 for his two children; John L. Jones, 38, who owes $39,939 for his two children; Francesco Stabile, 55, in arrears by $35,277 for his one child; Morgan Nhalpo, 45, $30,232 for two children and William P. Lewis, 34, $30,074 for three children.

The biggest "deadbeat dad" on the new poster is Frank D. Stewart, 31, of Lincoln County who owes $68,264 for his six children.

Del Papa said the two state offices are also planning to spotlight some of the non-custodial parents on Father's Day.

Del Papa said for the first ten months of this fiscal year, child support collections have reached $67 million, up by more than $7 million from a year ago.

She said increased public awareness coupled with enforcement of federal legislation aimed at professional, occupational, recreation and driver's licenses along with new-hire reporting regulations have helped raise collections in Nevada.