Court briefs for May 2, 2001

Wednesday, May 2, 2001 | 10:46 a.m.

Family resents manslaughter plea

A Las Vegas man was sentenced to four to 10 years in prison Tuesday in connection with a June 1995 stabbing death.

Michael Rigoberto Ornelas pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Zvi Roth and was sentenced Tuesday by District Judge Jeffrey Sobel.

According to police, Roth, 44, and his wife were walking outside a bar at 3685 S. Rainbow Blvd. when they reportedly encountered two teenagers. One teen reportedly yelled obscenities at Roth and stabbed him in the heart.

Two months later, Ornelas was sent to prison for three years for grand larceny. He was arrested for murder in Roth's death in June 2000 after information was found that linked him to the crime.

Roth's children, Orly and Dan, expressed their disgust at the plea agreement during Tuesday's hearing.

"My dad got a knife in the chest for no reason," Dan Roth, 15, said. "That's not manslaughter. That's murder."

Chief Deputy District Attorney L.J. O'Neale said after the hearing that a deal was made based on what he thought he would be able to prove at trial.

Man receives 20 years to life

District Judge Jeffrey Sobel Tuesday sentenced a Las Vegas man to 20 years to life in prison for the beating death of a 3-year-old girl.

The decision was left up to Sobel after jurors in the Jacquin Webb case could not agree as to whether Webb should receive a no-parole life sentence. Ten of the jurors thought he should never be released from prison, while two thought he should one day become eligible for parole.

According to police, Nichelle Miller died on June 24, 1999, one day after she was taken to University Medical Center suffering from head injuries, numerous bruises and a broken leg.

Jurors convicted Webb, 31, in February of first-degree murder and child abuse causing substantial bodily harm.

Sobel ruled Tuesday that Webb should serve eight to 20 years on the child abuse charge at the same time as the murder charge.

Defendant claims coercion in deal

A 35-year-old Las Vegas man was sentenced to six to 15 years in prison Tuesday in connection with a series of home invasions.

District Judge John McGroarty sentenced Tyrone Walker despite Walker's insistence he was coerced into entering a plea agreement. Walker said he is innocent of all four robberies he pleaded guilty to.

"I just want to see justice done correctly," Walker complained repeatedly.

McGroarty also ordered Walker to assist his co-defendants in paying more than $44,000 in restitution.

Prosecutors allege that Nahum Brown, 24, Draketonial Macon, 31, and Walker committed a series of home invasion robberies between Sept. 29 and Dec. 9, 1999.

All three have entered plea agreements. Macon is awaiting sentencing and Brown was sentenced to six and a half to 16 years in prison last month.

Crash injured fire captain

A 33-year-old Las Vegas man accused of drunken driving in an accident that seriously injured a local firefighter pleaded guilty Tuesday to driving under the influence, causing substantial bodily harm.

As a result of the plea agreement, Dorian Geba will receive a prison sentence of two to 12 years on June 14.

Metro Police say Las Vegas Fire Capt. Nathan Pechacek was driving through the intersection at Cimarron Road and Alta Drive Sept. 17 when his sport utility vehicle was hit by a 1998 Ford Expedition driven by Geba.

Pechacek's vehicle ended up on its side.

Blood tests showed Geba had a 0.19 blood alcohol level, which is almost twice the legal limit of 0.10, police said.

Pechacek, who was critically injured in the accident, is still recovering.