Metro probes City Hall over tavern license

Erin Neff

Friday, July 28, 2000 | 11:09 a.m.

A criminal probe at Las Vegas City Hall has been launched by Metro Police to determine if any public officials broke the law by providing misleading information related to a controversial tavern license.

Deputy Chief Mike Hawkins met with Mayor Oscar Goodman and City Manager Virginia Valentine Wednesday to tell them Metro's intelligence division would be interviewing city employees.

"We are conducting an investigation to determine whether any crime occurred involving misconduct by public employees," Hawkins said.

Metro moved in after receiving calls from the public about recent newspaper articles detailing a church's sudden opening just two days before the City Council was set to vote on the tavern license, Hawkins said.

The Universal Church for Life Enhancement opened April 3 in an office building 219 feet away from political consultant Sig Rogich's old office building on Westwood Drive.

Despite objections from city staff, including a passionate opinion from City Attorney Brad Jerbic, the council voted 4-2 to grant Rogich a tavern license. The building was measured just 17 inches over the 1,000-foot required distance to an elementary school.

Officials made no public mention of the church at the time of the vote.

But many believe the church moved in to block the tavern license. In fact, two Houston brothers buying Rogich's old building were denied a permit to turn the offices into a topless club earlier this month because it was too close to the church.

Annette Marie Patterson, the sister of Crazy Horse Too manager Rick Rizzolo, runs the church and is also a bookkeeper at the adult club.

Rizzolo is a longtime friend of City Councilman Michael McDonald. But McDonald also counts Rogich as one of his trusted political advisers. Caught in an awkward position as a result of his relationships with Rizzolo and Rogich, McDonald left the council meeting before the tavern license came up and did not vote on the issue.

Last week McDonald denied any involvement in the church's formation.

Meanwhile news articles sparked a "fact-finding" mission inside City Hall by employees from the city attorney's office and planning department as well as city clerks and elected officials' staffs.

Valentine said she did not consider that probe an official investigation, although several sources told the Sun last week that employees were gathering information to cover themselves in case someone else started digging for documents related to the Rogich licensing case.

Meanwhile, Ali and Davari Hassan of Houston plan to re-submit their request to city planners for a special-use permit on Rogich's old office building because Patterson has decided to move her church.

After news accounts raised skepticism about the timing and location of the church, Patterson said her congregation's privacy was ruined. She held her last services Sunday for eight people.

Patterson lists herself as holistic minister of the church but is not recognized by the state to conduct marriages. The church is also not registered as a nonprofit group in Nevada.

The church also filed a record of its business name in Clark County with a document notarized by Patterson's father, Bart Rizzolo. State law prohibits notaries from signing off on documents for relatives.

Hawkins told Goodman and Valentine that the probe involves Nevada Revised Statute 197 -- a section of law dealing with misconduct by public officials.

"I told Chief Hawkins I didn't want to know any more until they're done," Goodman said. "We're just going to sit back and let them do their job."

Rogich's spokeswoman, Lee Haney, said Thursday that she and her boss were unaware of the criminal probe until they heard about it from media.

Valentine said Metro simply informed her of the investigation and stressed that nobody in particular was a target.

"We do want to send a message to the employees that they should cooperate with Metro and be truthful if they are contacted," Valentine said.