McDonald case may go to grand jury

Keith Paul and Erin Neff

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2000 | 11:26 a.m.

Metro Police detectives are recommending that two cases involving Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald be investigated by a grand jury, Undersheriff Richard Winget told the Sun.

Metro's intelligence unit has been investigating two separate cases in which McDonald is alleged to have used his public position in an attempt to benefit personal friends.

Mayor Oscar Goodman called for the police investigations into the sudden opening of a church near a proposed topless club and the potential sale of Las Vegas Sportspark in order to "find the truth."

Detectives handed the two case files over to the district attorney's office late Monday, Winget said.

Metro suggested the case be heard by a grand jury to protect the identity and testimony of the witnesses that talked with detectives.

"That way those people we interviewed can testify under the secrecy of the grand jury and not have to worry about retaliation from an influential City Council person," Winget said.

McDonald refused comment through the city's public information office.

McDonald's attorney, Richard Wright, said he was not aware of the cases being turned over to the DA's office and could not immediately comment on what the development means for his client.

But Wright did say he thought Metro was conducting a fishing expedition, based on conversations he had with police when he was retained by McDonald.

"They didn't know what they were investigating other than that they had been asked to investigate," Wright said.

City spokeswoman Andrea Reitan said the city attorney's office considers Metro's decision to turn the case over to the DA "standard operating procedure."

"Whenever Metro gets any case, they turn it over to the DA to decide," Reitan said, after consulting with city attorneys.

But Winget said Metro wouldn't send the case along if detectives didn't find any information supporting the allegations.

"If there was nothing there, we wouldn't waste our time," he said. "We believe there is enough evidence there that it should be looked at by a (prosecutor)."

Winget said it's now up to prosecutors to decide how they are going to proceed. The case could be taken to a grand jury or a preliminary hearing, which is an open court session. Prosecutors could also decide not go forward with the case.

McDonald has been under scrutiny since late July when news reports surfaced about the strange circumstances surrounding the Church for Universal Life Enhancement.

The church, run by Crazy Horse Too strip club owner Rick Rizzolo's sister, opened two days before a critical City Council vote to license a building 219 feet away as a tavern.

The building, then owned by political consultant Sig Rogich, was to be sold and converted to a topless club. When the new owners attempted to get the license, city planners denied the request because the building was too close to the church.

But when Rizzolo's connection to the church was revealed, the congregation suddenly packed up and moved, leading Goodman to wonder how it opened in the first place.

Since McDonald is close friends with Rizzolo, many questioned whether the councilman or his staff played any role in the case.

In the Sportspark case, McDonald is accused of trying to broker the sale of the beleaguered recreation center either to the city or to a private party.

A contract presented during an August City Council meeting shows Sportspark partners Larry Scheffler and Linda Fernandez were in fact ready to make such a deal.

McDonald works for Scheffler at Las Vegas Color Graphics. Scheffler and Fernandez are business partners as well as Sportspark investors.

The third partner in Sportspark, Don Schlesinger, said he was disturbed when he saw McDonald, Rizzolo and Rizzolo's attorney, Dean Patti, touring the center in late May.

Schlesinger said he thought Scheffler was showing the park to potential investors. McDonald said the trip was merely to scout the site for a charity softball tournament.