Local news briefs for December 27, 1999

Monday, Dec. 27, 1999 | 11:17 a.m.

Man charged in fatal stabbing

Metro Police continue to investigate a fatal stabbing in the valet parking lot at the Palace Station hotel-casino Saturday night.

Ralph Scalfani, 32, was charged with murder Saturday night after Stephon A. Brown, 36, of Las Vegas, died at University Medical Center from a stab wound to the abdomen about 8 p.m. Brown was stabbed at the Palace Station hotel-casino, 2411 W. Sahara Ave., about 6:30 p.m., police said.

Brown was found on the ground near a parked car, and Scalfani was being held by Palace Station security when police arrived at the hotel-casino.

Scalfani and Brown were riding in Brown's car in the parking lot when the stabbing occurred, Metro homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen said.

Detectives are unsure about what led up to the stabbing or what the two men's relationship was, Petersen said.

The slaying was the 112th homicide in Metro's jurisdiction so far this year compared with 124 homicides at the same time last year.

Critical shortage in blood donations

United Blood Services has gone to emergency status because of low reserves of type O blood.

Two Las Vegas Valley hospitals have asked for more than 400 units of type O blood, and area blood banks don't have it, United Blood Services spokeswoman Judy Roat said.

Importing blood from other parts of the country is not an option, because of high demand in other states, Roat said.

Anyone with type O blood can make a donation at any of four donation centers at 6930 W. Charleston Blvd., 3935 E. Charleston Blvd., 601 Whitney Ranch Drive and 4343 N. Rancho Drive.

Red Rock area gets federal grant

A federal grant will pave the way for the development of two new information centers for Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area.

The $366,800 grant will go toward two "gateway centers" to be located at the north and south ends of State Route 159, the Red Rock Canyon Scenic Byway.

The funds will be used by the Nevada Department of Transportation to complete an environmental assessment of the project, prepare design plans and complete the construction of the centers.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the information the centers will provide is badly needed.

"Today, people traveling through Red Rock Canyon do not have a place to get information along the highway about the area's scenic beauty and surrounding amenities," Reid said.

$2.4 million collected for fraud victims

The Nevada State Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection has collected more than $2.4 million in restitution for victims of fraud in 1999.

The unit has also levied and collected more than $1.3 million in fines and penalties.

The Bureau of Consumer Protection has been most busy with telemarketing cases. According to federal statistics illegal telemarketing operations bilk Americans out of $40 billion annually, with more than half the victims being over 50 years old.

Executives convicted in securities scheme

The latest of 35 defendants who have pleaded guilty to bribing stock promoters and stockbrokers in a securities fraud scheme involving stock of Teleteck Inc. and United Payphone Services Inc. were convicted on multiple charges, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Top executives from the two companies, with headquarters in Nevada, are accused of paying the promoters, brokers and market makers millions of dollars in cash and stock so they would recommend the stock to unsuspecting customers.

On Thursday Kevin E. Orton was convicted of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, 14 counts of money laundering, eight counts of securities fraud and eight counts of wire fraud, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Keith R. Shwayder was convicted of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, 13 counts of money laundering, three counts of securities fraud and two counts of wire fraud.