Court briefs for October 27, 2000

Friday, Oct. 27, 2000 | 11:31 a.m.

Woman faces trial in homicides

The second of three people suspected of committing a double homicide in Henderson has been bound over for trial.

Chief Deputy District Attorney David Roger said Henderson Justice of the Peace Rodney Burr found there is enough evidence to try Cynda Ann Wasso, 33, on murder charges in the deaths of David Bender, 21, and Steve Szany, 22.

Authorities believe Ralph Goodman, 23, and Stephen Ciolino, 31, stabbed and shot the men to death in Szany's Sunset Road apartment during a drug deal on Aug. 22.

Police believe Wasso was the getaway driver and helped clean up the blood-soaked car.

Goodman has already been bound over for trial and Ciolino's preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 16.

Guilty plea entered in fraud case

An Internet fraud case resulted in a guilty plea Thursday and a court order that the defendant pay $4,314 in restitution to his victims.

Michael Anthony Rossi of Las Vegas pleaded guilty to one felony count of obtaining money under false pretenses. An investigation by the Nevada attorney general's office resulted in Rossi being charged with offering various services over the Internet, accepting payment for those services, but never delivering the services.

The plea agreement stipulates that Rossi must pay the restitution and stay out of trouble for one year. If Rossi lives up to the agreement, he will be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea to the felony count and enter a plea of guilty to a misdemeanor charge of "conspiracy to commit theft by obtaining money under false pretenses," the attorney general's office said. If Rossi fails to live up to his plea agreement, he will be sentenced on the felony charge.

Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa advises people who would like to protect themselves from Internet fraud to call the Attorney' General's Bureau of Consumer Protection at 486-3194. Consumer protection information may also be found on the attorney general's website (http://ag.state.nv.us).