Court briefs for January 31, 2001

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001 | 10:37 a.m.

Plea bargain made in case

The man suspected of robbing or trying to rob Treasure Island three times last year cut a deal with prosecutors Tuesday that will guarantee him a prison sentence of eight to 80 years.

Reginald Johnson, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery with use of a deadly weapon, one count of attempted robbery and two counts of attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon.

Police believe Johnson successfully robbed Treasure Island on July 12 and Oct. 30, but was foiled by security measures that had been put into place before he tried robbing the hotel again on Dec. 12.

Johnson apparently became upset when he couldn't jump over the counter of a cashier's cage because of new security bars, fired a couple of shots into the cage and fled empty-handed. One of the shots wounded a guard.

Chief Deputy District Attorney David Schwartz said he intends to show District Judge John McGroarty security tapes of each of the robberies during Johnson's sentencing hearing March 13.

Johnson is suspected of getting away with at least $100,000 in the earlier two robberies.

Woman, 84, killed at home

Opening arguments were Tuesday in the trial of a man accused of participating in the robbery and murder of an 84-year-old woman.

Deputy District Attorney Robert Daskas told jurors that Selma Adelman was likely knitting late into the evening of July 26, 1997, when Termaine Lytle and Robert Terrance Walker slipped into her apartment through an unlocked sliding glass door, dragged her into her bedroom, killed her and ransacked her apartment.

Walker has pleaded guilty in the case and is serving a 20-year-to-life sentence. He will testify in Lytle's trial, as will Lytle's former girlfriend, who was 14 at the time.

Defense attorney Lizzie Hatcher said the true killer, Walker, has already been convicted in the case.

The trial is expected to continue this afternoon before District Judge Donald Mosley.

Suspect pleads guilty in case

A Las Vegas man suspected of hiring a hit man to kill his business partner three years ago entered a plea agreement Tuesday.

Heath Iliescu, 27, will receive a sentence of six to 18 years in connection with the December 1997 death of Bruce Ray Fisher, Chief Deputy District Attorney David Wall said.

Iliescu pleaded guilty to attempted murder and will be sentenced by District Judge Mark Gibbons March 13.

Police believe Iliescu had a dispute with Fisher and hired Jason Paris to kill him.

Paris pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against Iliescu, Wall said. He is expected to receive a 10-to-25-year sentence.

Twice-convicted killer loses

Two-time convicted murderer Gregory Leonard has lost an appeal to have one of his convictions and death sentences overturned, the Nevada Supreme Court said Tuesday.

In a 32-page opinion, the high court unanimously rejected Leonard's appeal of his conviction for murdering Tony Antee in 1995. The court also voted 3-2 against a new sentencing hearing for Leonard, who was 33 when he was convicted on Jan. 5, 1999. Justices Bob Rose and Bill Maupin dissented.

The strangulation slaying of Antee was discovered when police raided Leonard's apartment on Twain Avenue on Jan. 22, 1995, to arrest him for the murder a few weeks earlier of 65-year-old Thomas Williams, who was robbed of a few pieces of jewelry and some guns.

Judge will set sentence

A 17-year-old Las Vegan convicted of first-degree murder on Friday will be sentenced by a judge next month because the jury that convicted him could not agree on a sentence.

The jurors apparently could not decide whether Jesus Celestin should serve a life sentence with or without the possibility of parole.

Celestin was convicted Friday. Both he and Juan Tadeo, who was convicted last week during a separate trial in the same killing, will be sentenced by District Judge Sally Loehrer March 14.