News briefs for August 28, 2002

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2002 | 9:46 a.m.

Payback ordered in fraud scheme

A Las Vegas man has reached a plea agreement that will require him to pay $457,500 in restitution to the elderly victims of a securities fraud scheme.

Gregory J. Olsen pleaded guilty in District Court to two counts of securities fraud.

The guilty plea is the result of an indictment filed by the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection alleging that Olsen made representations to investors that he would generate money through real estate deals.

Olsen is expected to make his first $50,000 restitution payment on Nov. 25.

Slain man's SUV sought

Metro Police are asking for the public's help in finding a white 1999 GMC four-door sport utility vehicle that belonged to a man found slain earlier this month.

Officers responding to a call in the 200 block of West New York Avenue Aug. 9 discovered the body of Lloyd Nelson, 73, a victim of strangulation.

Investigators believe that Nelson may have been killed by someone who knew him or had welcomed into his home near Torrey Pines Drive and Desert Inn Road. His vehicle was missing.

The SUV's license plate is Nevada 422 PGT.

Anyone with information regarding Nelson's murder or the location of his missing vehicle is asked to call the Metro Homicide Section at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555. A person with information may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Subcritical test planned Thursday

The National Nuclear Security Administration plans to conduct a subcritical experiment called "Mario" at the Nevada Test Site on Thursday.

Subcritical experiments examine the behavior of plutonium as it is shocked by chemical high explosives. Subcritical experiments produce essential scientific data and technical information used to help maintain the safety and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile.

The experiments are subcritical because no critical mass forms and no self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction can occur. There is no nuclear explosion.

"Mario," a Los Alamos National Laboratory experiment, is designed to answer questions about plutonium after it is impacted by an explosion. A forceful spray of particles and the breakup of material from the explosive shock is studied.

Subcritical experiments are conducted at the Nevada Test Site's U1a Complex, 85 miles northwest of Las Vegas, and about 960 feet underground.

Los Alamos scientists did their last subcritical experiment, "Vito," on Feb. 14. The last subcritical experiment at the Test Site was "Oboe 9" on June 7.

Woman named Red Cross boss

Penney Towers, a former executive director of a regional Texas chapter of the American Red Cross, has been appointed chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of Southern Nevada.

Towers replaces Cathy Tisdale, who now is CEO of the American Red Cross of Phoenix.

Towers previously served as executive director of the South Plains Regional Chapter in Lubbock, Texas. Before that Towers worked for Nix Health Foundation in San Antonio, Texas.

She assumes her new post Tuesday for the agency that serves 1.7 million people and has a staff of 20 employees and a $2 million annual budget.

Towers has experience in management of shelter operations for the National American Red Cross Hurricane Watch Team and speaks French and Spanish.