Local news briefs for August 1, 2000

Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2000 | 10:36 a.m.

Teen found shot to death ID'd

A teenager found shot to death Sunday night has been identified as 17-year-old Leodanis Escobar.

Escobar was found shot in the head in the 3400 block of Mountain Vista Street about 6:40 p.m. Sunday. He was taken to University Medical Center, but died from his wounds about 11 p.m., said Lt. Wayne Petersen of Metro Police's homicide unit.

A witness told police two shots were heard and then the teen was seen struggling with a man. The gunman then got into a white Jeep Cherokee with California license plates driven by another man, Petersen said.

The teen's slaying was the 59th homicide so far this year in Metro's jurisdiction, compared with 60 at the same time last year.

The gunman was described as black, in his early to mid-20s, 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing about 165 pound and wearing light-colored clothing.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Metro's homicide unit at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555l.

Calif. man who drowned ID'd

A California man who drowned over the weekend in a motel pool was identified as 23-year-old Amarmend Balgansuren.

Balgansuren, of Santa Ana, Calif., was found dead in the pool at the Tam O'Shanter Motel in the 3300 block of Las Vegas Boulevard South. He apparently had been drinking with some friends at the pool, officials said.

Firm manager pleads guilty

CARSON CITY -- Michael F. Sullivan, 38, pleaded guilty Monday to stealing $22,431 from the accounts of clients of Merrill Lynch where he was service manager in a branch office in Las Vegas.

Deputy Attorney General Matthew Gabe said Sullivan, as part of the plea negotiation, made restitution to Merrill Lynch, before sentencing. The company had already reimbursed its clients for their losses.

District Judge Mark Gibbons, besides ordering the restitution, sentenced Sullivan to time served, which amounted to one day after his arrest June 19.

Gabe said Sullivan on numerous occasions, without authority of the company, drafted checks from accounts of clients for his personal use. Each time he drafted an unauthorized check, he effected a sale of a security without the knowledge or consent of the company or the account owner.

Sullivan pleaded guilty to the gross misdemeanor of conspiring to transact business as an unlicensed broker-dealer or sales representative. Gabe said Lynch fired Sullivan as soon as the losses were discovered.

Bryan says goodbye in Pahrump

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., began his 12th and final rural tour of the state Monday in Pahrump. He will have a town hall meeting in the Boulder City Council Chambers tonight at 7, then continue touring the state for the rest of August into early September.

"This tour is very special to me and I will certainly miss it next year," Bryan said. "I have truly enjoyed touring the smaller communities and listening to the concerns of the voters every summer for the last 12 years."

Launch ramp delays expected

A 40-foot stretch of launch ramp at the Las Vegas Bay has been closed for an undetermined amount of time due to holes in the ramp. As the water level of Lake Mead decreases, holes that were beneath the water have been exposed, National Park officials said.

Launching is still possible at Las Vegas Bay, but it will require more patience, park officials said.