Brothel owner sentenced for bribe

By Jinae West

Thursday, July 30, 2009 | 12:53 p.m.

Brothel owner Joe Richards was sentenced Wednesday for attempting to bribe a former Nye county commissioner to benefit his business interests.

Richards, 75, was ordered to spend one year in a halfway house, given five years of probation and was ordered to pay a $250,000 fine, according to a statement released by Greg Brower, U.S. Attorney of Nevada.

In June and August of 2005, Richards paid former Nye County Commissioner Candice Trummell $5,000 to revise an ordinance that restricted him from building a brothel on property he owned. The property was located at the corner of Homestead Road and Silver Street in Pahrump. The ordinance prevented the construction of a legal brothel within 300 yards of the frontage to a road or highway.

At the time, Richards did not know that Trummell was serving as a cooperating witness for the federal government.

Richards concealed payments to Trummell through a law scholarship and family trust.

He pleaded guilty March 16 to one count of wire and honest services fraud.

Richards owns three of seven brothels authorized for operation in Nye County, including Mabel's Ranch, Cherry Patch Ranch and Cherry Patch II Ranch, as well as a massage parlor and strip club.