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What Gilbert didn’t tell CSN about his past

Indicted CSN construction chief was convicted of embezzlement, served time

STEVE MARCUS / LAS VEGAS SUN FILE

Bob Gilbert, left, and attorney John Momot, seen here in a February 2007 interview, say they intend to fight theft and misconduct charges against Gilbert.

By Jeff German (contact), Charlotte Hsu (contact)

Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 | 2 a.m.

The College of Southern Nevada’s just-indicted construction chief was convicted of embezzlement 17 years ago, according to documents obtained by the Sun.

In November 1991, William “Bob” Gilbert, CSN’s associate vice president of management facilities, pleaded guilty to stealing money from a California Indian tribe, records show.

A federal judge sentenced Gilbert to three months behind bars, placed him on three years’ probation and ordered him to pay back $18,705 to the Chemehuevi Indians in Havasu Lake, Calif., records show.

Gilbert’s lawyer, John Momot, acknowledged the conviction, recalling that Gilbert had spent time at a federal halfway house in Las Vegas, but Momot declined to discuss the case.

CSN spokeswoman K.C. Brekken said college administrators were unaware of the conviction when they hired Gilbert in December 1997.

Gilbert, she said, was not asked whether he had any criminal convictions. Administrators didn’t start inquiring about convictions during the hiring process until 2001, she said.

The college does not hire people for child-care and public safety positions with convictions, but it has no policy on hiring people with convictions for the majority of positions, she said.

On Friday afternoon, Brekken could not say whether CSN officials were concerned about Gilbert’s embezzlement case because the president of the college, Michael Richards, had gone home sick, she said.

Gilbert’s Las Vegas indictment on theft and misconduct charges, however, drew a swift reaction Friday from university system Chancellor Jim Rogers, who called it a blow to CSN’s reputation.

“It’s very disappointing and it’s very distressing,” Rogers said. “If he did those things, he did them contrary to the interests of the public, and contrary to the interests of CSN, and contrary to the interests of the whole higher education system.”

The 49-year-old Gilbert was charged with stealing the services of college employees under his supervision, along with building materials and equipment, during construction of a sprawling Mount Charleston home, which Chief Deputy Attorney General Conrad Hafen said was “built on the backs of Nevada taxpayers.”

Several companies that had CSN contracts also worked on the 4,26-acre estate, which includes an 8,200-square-foot main house, a 2,500-square-foot guesthouse, a lighted full basketball court, stables, a carport and several storage units.

The Clark County assessor lists the taxable value of the property, at 9045 Barr Ave., as $1.32 million.

For much of 2006 and 2007, two of Gilbert’s employees were directed to spend their days helping him work on his mountain property, the 34-count indictment said.

In all, Gilbert was charged with 13 counts of felony theft and four counts of misconduct by a public officer in the alleged scheme, which the indictment said occurred between January 2002 and February of this year.

Momot said his client planned to fight the charges.

“He’s not guilty,” Momot said. “The evidence will show the state is not correct. We’re going to litigate this case to the fullest.”

Gilbert has been summoned to be arraigned on the charges in District Court at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 8.

The two employees who worked on Gilbert’s home — Matthew Goins, a 56-year-old facility manager, and George Casal, a 59-year-old construction inspector — were each charged in the indictment with two counts of obtaining money under false pretenses. They allegedly worked on Gilbert’s home while on the college’s time. Goins was also indicted on three counts of being a principal to the crime of theft for picking up building materials charged to the college from local businesses and taking them to Gilbert’s Mount Charleston estate.

Thad Skinner, a 64-year-old construction manager for the college, was charged in the indictment with 10 counts of being a principal to the crime of theft. Between January and June 2007, the indictment alleged, Skinner picked up materials on the college’s account at Home Depot and brought them to Gilbert’s property.

The materials obtained illegally by Gilbert in the scheme included lumber, pallets of cinder blocks, door handles and door locks, the indictment alleged. A forklift, a manlift, a paint sprayer and a chain hoist were among the machinery identified in the indictment that was allegedly used at the college’s expense.

Hafen said Friday the attorney general’s office has obtained arrest warrants for Skinner and Goins, and Casal is being summoned to court to answer the charges with Gilbert on Oct. 8. The investigation, Hafen said, is continuing.

Brekken said CSN administrators won’t make a decision on whether all four defendants will remain with the college until they have a chance to meet with them and discuss the allegations.

Gilbert had returned to his $147,204-a-year associate vice president’s job July 1 following a year of paid leave.

Sun reporter Christina Littlefield was the first to report on the allegations against Gilbert, in March 2007.

Rogers said the allegations swirling around Gilbert have been “a troubling issue to us for a long time.”

In Sun stories before the indictment, however, Rogers and top CSN officials had defended Gilbert.

At most, they were quoted as saying, Gilbert used bad judgment in hiring college contractors to work on his ranch because of the perception he was getting a sweetheart deal.

“Everyone I talked to says he knows construction, knows how to deal with the Public Works Board, knows how to talk to everybody involved,” Rogers previously said. “I never had one person say, ‘Watch him because he’s stealing from you.’ ”

Rogers even used Gilbert as a consultant on construction projects for the statewide Health Sciences System.

Jeff German is the Sun’s senior investigative reporter.

Discussion: 9 comments so far…

By jfnance32

9/27/08 at 2:32 a.m.

Suggest removal

Jim Rogers should be fired as from his job as Chancellor.

Chancellors normally are supposed to be focused on their duties of being the chief executive officer of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Being CEO of NSHE has been the last thing on his mind lately.

He is focused like a laser beam on his war on Republicans. He has turned the NSHE into cheerleader for Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party has used all the money that Rogers has given to them to generate mailers that come from the sewer. In those mailers, it accuses Republicans of wanting children to die. That sewer smell on Rogers is getting to be very repugnant.

Rogers no longer cares about doing his job as CEO of NSHE. Since 2007, Rogers has known that William "Bob" Gilbert has stolen from the NSHE. What has happened to Gilbert? He received a one year's paid vacation. I heard that Rogers is tough but that is really harsh. Gilbert has now returned from vacation and now we have two people earning money for the same position in NSHE. Roger is an excellent CEO at NSHE. The taxpayers are paying two people over $100,000 grand each to do the same job. I guess the budget cuts have not trickle down to that department yet.

Now, Gilbert has been indicted by the Clark County. What has Roger done? He has done nothing. Perhaps, Rogers will give Gilbert another harsh year's worth of paid vacation. Perhaps, the Regents should put Rogers on a permanent unpaid vacation.

You can go to the link below and find the Regents' contact information. The CEO of NSHE serves at the pleasure of the Board of Regents. The Board of Regents serves at the pleasure of the voters of the State of Nevada.

http://system.nevada.edu/Board-of-R/Bios...
By Farah

9/27/08 at 2:11 p.m.

Suggest removal

The NSHE Chancellor Jim Rogers, CSN president Mike Richards, and CSN VP of Finance Patty Charlton Dayar must step down for their at a minimum incompetency and mismanagment. Shame on them. Resign!
By omniscoop

9/27/08 at 3:47 p.m.

Comment removed by staff.
By JustWant2Teach

9/27/08 at 5:02 p.m.

Suggest removal

I recommend that "omiscoop" stay with the facts and refrain from the personal attack on others' opinions. This is supposedly an open forum for all to share opinions which others might agree or disagree. If "omniscoop" can not understand this concept, then he/she probably should "keep your views to yourselves" as he/she scolded others with.

As to others' opinion on Bob Gilbert's guilt, for heaven's sake, the guy has been indicted! What kind negativity did omiscoop accuse those posters of? Does omniscoop think that such indictment shoudl not be a negative thing in normal citizen's minds?
By jfnance32

9/27/08 at 5:17 p.m.

Suggest removal

Wow....according to omiscoop, Rogers is a god but he lacks management skills as CEO that he can not read the headlines and see that is a crook in on his management team....

Good posting omiscoop.....you intelligence is so great......
By captainpoma

9/28/08 at 4:11 a.m.

Suggest removal

For crying out loud, Jim (jfnance), ENOUGH already with the "Rogers/Democratic/Mailers" nonsense! It has absolutely nothing to do with the issue at hand, and you keep repeating the same post all over the place. I'm sick of reading it over and over and over again. MOVE ON and get over yourself!
By wonteach

9/28/08 at 4:46 p.m.

Suggest removal

On another website, I posted a question about whether ANY employee (other than Bob Gilbert) in the history of CSN/CCSN had ever received a one year PAID leave of absence, for any purpose. So far, no one seems to know of any such case, and several people have declared their certainty that there ARE no other such cases. Even when we allow for the the fact that the CSN administration became an ethical sewer the moment Richard Carpenter set foot on campus, the granting of such a unique (and expensive) privilege to an employee who was under criminal investigation seems inexplicable.
By jfnance32

9/28/08 at 6:05 p.m.

Suggest removal

If Rogers wants to get into mud in his war on Republicans then he is going to smell like a pig.

Rogers gave a ton of money to the Democrats and they used it mail out crap saying that Republicans want children to die and Republicans are for cancer.

Rogers is really starting to stink!!!!!!!
By zerstuckelung

10/2/08 at 1:35 a.m.

Suggest removal

What a spectacular failure for CSN's administration. Simply amazing that more people haven't been pitched over the side because of this.

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