News briefs for January 9, 2002

Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2002 | 9:47 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Tuesday ordered Las Vegas lawyer Dwight Duncan disbarred for taking money from clients and not following through with the work.

Duncan was charged by the Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board with six counts of misconduct but he never filed an answer or showed up for a hearing. The disciplinary board was able to track down Duncan in Florida, though he never returned to Nevada to defend himself.

The court said the record of the five cases "demonstrates a pattern of misconduct by Duncan and an outright abandonment of his clients and his practice."

One example of Duncan's behavior involved his accepting $300 from a Las Vegas woman in July 1999 to represent her in a divorce action. He told her he would be able to obtain an immediate order for child support. However, two months later he said he had filed the divorce complaint, and a hearing was set for October, but repeatedly postponed.

The woman called the court in December and discovered nothing had been filed.

Jail time levied in check forgeries

CARSON CITY -- District Judge Lee Gates has sentenced Jouko J. Lankinen of Las Vegas to 12 to 30 months in prison on charges of forgery in altering checks.

Gates also ordered Lankinen to pay the $12,639 in restitution to his victims.

Deputy Attorney General Francis Arenas said Tuesday that Lankinen was charged with defrauding the Stratosphere, an out of state business and a Las Vegas visitor by altering the amount on checks made payable to his travel agency, Las Vegas Welcome Center.

Lankinen, who pleaded guilty, agreed to make $26,000 in restitution, but he failed to pay and missed several court appearances, the attorney general's office said.

Former female inmate sentenced

CARSON CITY -- A former female inmate has been sentenced to 12 to 48 months in prison for aiding in the escape of another woman, apparently so they could spend some time together.

District Judge David Huff on Tuesday also fined Janine Nish $1,000.

Nish met inmate Angela Bogacki while at the Silver Springs Conservation Camp in Lyon County, said Deputy Attorney General John Warwick.

On July 9, 2000, Warwick said Bogacki climbed a fence and met Nish in her car for "some quality time." A neighbor saw the car and alerted prison officials.

Warwick said Bogacki cooperated with authorities and received probation on the escape charge. She has since been released from prison.