News briefs for Nov. 8, 2002

Friday, Nov. 8, 2002 | 11:18 a.m.

Man found dead in North Las Vegas

North Las Vegas Police are investigating the shooting death of a 25-year-old man found lying on a sidewalk in the 3500 block of Mercury Street.

Officers found the man dead at the scene with several gunshot wounds about midnight Wednesday.

The victim's identity was being withheld until relatives are notified, police said.

Police said there were no suspects.

Woman receives probation in crash

A 30-year-old Las Vegas woman was sentenced to three years' probation in connection with a June accident that killed a 27-year-old father of two.

Chief Deputy District Attorney said an inebriated Michelle Labarbera was driving south on U.S. 95 at a high rate of speed when she lost control of her vehicle, rolling it.

Labarbera's passenger, Jose Serrano, was thrown from the vehicle and killed.

Labarbera pleaded the equivalent of no contest to involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence in September.

In addition to serving three years probation, Larbarbera must attend a victim impact panel and receive alcohol counseling.

Rossum named to state panel

Gov. Kenny Guinn has named Beth Rossum of Las Vegas to the state Real Estate Commission, succeeding Ronald Ruthe.

Rossum has been the owner/broker of Rossum Realty Unlimited in Las Vegas since 1988.

Driving-school fraud charged

A Las Vegas man has been charged with trying to bilk families out of money by promising jobs to students in a commercial truck driving school.

Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa said Richard R. Perkins gained the names of the students in the driving school and telephoned their friends and families out of state, telling them he could guarantee a job to the student if they would send him a fee of $300 to $600.

Some of the families would wire the money via Western Union to Las Vegas. The students were never hired and the money was never refunded, Del Papa said.

Perkins is charged with three counts of theft and with violating the habitual criminal law. He faces a maximum of five years for each theft count and a maximum of 20 years on the habitual criminal violation.

Apartments sued over accessibility

The Justice Department has filed a Fair Housing Act lawsuit against the Green Valley Country Club apartments in Henderson for failing to design a complex that is accessible to people with disabilities.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court Thursday, names Wilmark Development Co., Mark Schmidt Construction, WLW of Nevada Inc. and DeLuna Inc. as defendants.

The lawsuit alleges that there are no accessible routes for people with disabilities into the apartments, that the doors are too narrow to allow access by people using wheelchairs and that common and public use areas are inaccessible.