LV man accused of beating women withdraws from gaming deal

Friday, Oct. 2, 1998 | 11:50 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Gaming Control Board on Thursday gave preliminary approval for a slot machine license for Woody's Bar and Grill in Las Vegas after one of the partners, accused of beating up women, withdrew from the deal.

The board voted for Lawrence Li Liang to own 100 percent of Woody's at 3101 W. Sahara Ave. Board members told Liang that his former partner John A. Mesa was not to be involved in the operation, which will have 15 slot machines.

Liang, who is a cooperative consultant for special education in the Clark County School District, told the board he works his shift for the district that extends from 6:40 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and he then goes right to the bar.

"Teacher rewards are not great and I have always had to work a second job," Liang said.

The application ran into trouble last month when board members questioned Mesa about incidents in which he is alleged to have assaulted women.

In separate incidents, gaming officials said he was accused of breaking the jaw of one woman and kicking another in the head and body outside a nightclub -- allegations that were denied by attorneys for Mesa.

But it was clear the board would not approve the application with Mesa involved, so he sold his 50 percent to Liang.

The board allowed Mesa to withdraw his application but with prejudice. That means he can't re-apply for a state license for another year.

Attorney Sean McGowan called this "unnecessarily punitive" in requiring Mesa to wait a year. "He's a young guy. He's been hurt. He's bitter," the attorney told the board.

But Board Chairman Steve DuCharme told McGowan, "He (Mesa) may be bitter but not as bitter as the women he assaulted." He said Mesa could have been denied a license, which would have been a harsher penalty than allowing him to withdraw.