Friday, Oct. 31, 2003 | 9:51 a.m.
Lieberman event on tap
A Nov. 19 fund-raiser has been scheduled in Las Vegas for Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., a Democratic presidential candidate.
The invitation-only event at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse at 3900 Paradise Road is being co-hosted by former Sen. Richard Bryan, former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones and longtime home-building consultant Hal Ober.
Guests will be asked to donate $1,000 apiece with a maximum contribution of $2,000 allowed.
Lieberman will become the fifth of the nine Democratic presidential candidates to hold a Las Vegas fund-raiser this year. Lieberman was the vice presidential candidate on the party's unsuccessful 2000 ticket.
Metro detective's hearing delayed
A Metro Police robbery detective, a former media spokesman for the department, had his pre-termination hearing delayed until Nov. 20 over a shooting incident last summer.
Tirso Dominguez is suspected of firing a least five shots into the air near Bonanza Road and Eastern Avenue and then fleeing in his unmarked Metro car on July 25 while off duty. Officials allege that he then lied to Metro investigators during questioning.
Dominguez, 38, could face termination if officials determine he lied about the incident.
He has been on paid administrative leave since July 26.
The hearing was postponed from Thursday because the lawyer who is representing Dominguez had a family emergency, Metro Police spokesman Jose Montoya said.
"It is my understanding that a parent of Officer Dominguez's legal counsel is near death," Montoya said.
Metro officials felt the incident was serious enough to submit to the Clark County district attorney's office, and sought charges against Dominguez for illegally discharging a firearm, a gross misdemeanor. District Attorney David Roger reviewed the file, but declined to file charges.
Suspect sought in shooting death
Metro Police issued a warrant for the arrest of a man in a shooting death that occurred about 1:45 a.m. Monday.
Police are seeking Arnoldo Gomez-Banderas, 32, on charges of murder with a deadly weapon and attempted murder with a deadly weapon, authorities said.
Officers were called to an apartment after receiving a call that a man had been shot. The victim, shot in the arm, directed officers to the 2600 block of East Mesquite Avenue, where they found another man who had been shot. The victim has been identified as Olerster Viveros, 35, of Las Vegas.
Police are also trying to locate a man who may have been in the apartment at the time, Lt. Tom Monahan said. The third man is known only as "Salvatore" and his age is believed to be 30 years. He is 5-foot-11 with a thin build. He is not considered a suspect in the crime and is wanted for questioning by police.
Banderas is believed to be in the Las Vegas area. Anyone with information is asked to call Metro's Homicide Section at 229-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.
Man pleads guilty in fraud case
A 46-year-old Salt Lake City man is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to an obstruction charge in a check fraud scheme.
Jon Constantini entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Lloyd George Thursday in connection with a "check kiting" scheme that took place in Las Vegas between July and October of 2000.
"Check-kiting" occurs when someone deposits a worthless check and then draws funds on that check before it clears. Constantini deposited numerous checks in Las Vegas totaling $535,000, and then instructed a business associate to make wire transfers and purchases for him before the check cleared and it was learned that there were insufficient funds.
The FBI interviewed Constantini about the checks, and Constantini showed them a copy of a bank statement showing that he had deposited $950,000 to cover the expenditures, but Constantini later admitted to tampering with the statement, erasing a notation indicating that the deposit had been returned for insufficient funds.
Constantini is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
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