Court briefs for March 20, 2001

Tuesday, March 20, 2001 | 10:53 a.m.

Woman pleads guilty to charges

A Las Vegas health clinic owner has pleaded guilty to defrauding Culinary Workers Local 150 out of $350,000.

Liliana Mirchou, owner of Santa Ana Medical Center, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben on Monday. Mirchou must repay $350,000 to the union's health fund and to Medicare, and she will also forfeit an additional $350,000 that will be used to prosecute other health care fraud across the country.

Mirchou faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and at least $250,000 in fines, according to U.S. Attorney Kathryn Landreth.

Mirchou admitted, according to court documents, that from January 1996 to November 1998 she caused Santa Ana to submit claims for payment falsely stating that medical services had been provided by licensed physicians.

Bail set for two teenagers

District Judge John McGroarty Monday set bail of $100,000 each for two teenagers accused of gunning down a another teen in her doorway.

Attorneys for Isvi Fabila, 17, and Eduardo Cisneros, 16, had asked for their bail to be set at less than $50,000 each, noting a third teen, Richard Macias, 18, is accused of being the actual gunman.

Police say Fabila knocked on Esmeralda Martinez's front door Jan. 20 while Cisneros and Macias, who was carrying a 9 mm handgun, remained in her driveway.

A verbal altercation between the girls occurred, and gunfire erupted, police said. Martinez was struck in the heart and was killed instantly.

An officer nearby heard the shots, saw the suspects' vehicle leave the Martinez home and pulled it over near Vegas Drive and Tonopah Avenue, police said. The 9 mm gun found in the vehicle had been reported stolen in December.

Family Court Judge Dianne Steel

has been elected president of the Nevada District Judges Association. Steel replaces outgoing president Janet Berry, chief District Court judge in Washoe County. Steel will hold the presidency until the group meets again in April 2002.