Telephone call from gang member foils nurse’s release

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2005 | 9:22 a.m.

Despite a federal court order, a 28-year-old Las Vegas nurse has had at least one phone conversation with a convicted gang member whom she is charged with attempting to help escape from jail.

U.S. Magistrate Lawrence Leavitt told Christina Lavonda Mathews at a hearing Monday how important it is for her to follow the guidelines that allow her to stay in a halfway house instead of jail while she awaits trial on charges that she tried to help Leland Banks escape from the Las Vegas Detention Center at Stewart Avenue and Mojave Road.

"You are in a heap of trouble here," Leavitt said. "One more problem, one more violation and you will seriously be looking at a revocation of your release order."

Last month Mathews, who worked at the jail as a nurse, pleaded not guilty to charges that she was helping Banks in planning his escape attempt between March and November. She is alleged to have slipped Banks, 29, a pair of pliers and a pair of bolt-cutters.

She was in court Monday on a motion made by her attorney, Robert Glennen, to get her released on her own recognizance while she awaits a trial scheduled for Feb. 7. When Glennen was informed about the phone call by authorities he withdrew the motion, and the government agreed to allow Mathews to stay at the Las Vegas Community Corrections Center, 2901 Industrial Road.

The phone call at issue was made by Banks from jail to Mathews at the halfway house and lasted for 10 minutes, Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Greg Damm said.

Mathews told Leavitt that she didn't know how Banks found her at the halfway house, but Leavitt replied that although Mathews didn't initiate the call she "certainly didn't try to avoid it."

Banks, a Rolling 60s Crips gang member, was found guilty in October of federal racketeering crimes related to a shooting at a convenience store in January 2003 and is awaiting sentencing.

A jury deliberated for about nine hours in the case, and Banks faces a possible sentence ranging from 20 to 60 years in prison and up to $750,000 in fines.

Banks was convicted of attempted murder and assault, two violent crimes connected to racketeering, and three violations of firearms laws as a result of shooting at a rival gang member sniper-style from the roof of a building across the street from the 7-Eleven on Sierra Vista Drive and Cambridge Street.

Prosecutors said Banks fired six shots from a .22-caliber weapon at Kenny Gilmore because Gilmore had been disrespectful. By the rules of the gang's code, Banks had to retaliate, prosecutors said.