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StumbleFormer fire captain pleads guilty to child sex crime
Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010 | 3:35 p.m.
Martin Vohwinkel
Sun Archives
A former Clark County Fire Department captain caught allegedly trying to lure young girls for sex through Craigslist ads pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court, the Department of Justice said.
Martin Vohwinkel, 56, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to one count of using a facility of interstate commerce to coerce and entice a minor for sex, a charge that carries a 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and lifetime supervised release, officials said.
Vohwinkel will be sentenced Dec. 17, according to the Department of Justice. Until then, he is released on a personal recognizance bond with special conditions.
Henderson Police arrested Vohwinkel in Febraury during an undercover investigation targeting people using the Internet to solicit sex from minors, officials said.
A detective found an advertisement on Craigslist soliciting minors for sex — specifically sex with a girl that said "the younger the better" in exchange for money, federal officials said.
The detective posed as a 14-year-old girl and corresponded with Vohwinkel, who allegedly sent her a nude picture of his body and one of his face, officials said.
Vohwinkel repeatedly told the "girl" he wanted to have sex with her soon, and he identified himself as a firefighter named "Marty," according to the Department of Justice.
The detective, still posing as the young girl, made plans via text messages to meet Vohwinkel the next day for sex in a supermarket parking lot in Henderson, officials said. He was arrested when he showed up in the Toyota Tundra truck he described at the arranged meeting time, officials said.
Discussion: 3 comments so far…
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Yep, overpaid and underworked! He probably was on sick pay while committing the crime.
He is a retard on top of it for identifying himself... All education wasted on that guy and the taxpayer will keep paying for his stay at the pen.
Wolfslair.... don't lump all Firefighter together, I think what he has done is down right evil and gross. No matter what he did for a living he is still a PIG!!! and I hope he is put away for a very long time
Who's worse: the creepy looking freak or the clean cut pervert?
Looks like he spend a lot of time in the gym as well.
But is he still considered a hero?
Dam The Firefighters stick it to us again!
It's not all firefighters who should be condemnded by association with this $200,000 per year plus union toadie - consolidate the department of professional firefighters across the county and get rid of these outrageously paid perverts.
He pleaded guilty to a charge that carry's a minimum 10 year sentence, yet is out on bail. Can someone with a legal background please explain that to a layman?
What prevents this guy from running to Mexico where he is free and able to find all the young girls he wants? Put the f**k in jail.
Try $300,000
http://transparentnevada.com/salaries/se...
Hope Bubba takes real good care of him.
old sparky had some down time on his hands and got whacked big time.
Kudos to westvagas.
This scum pleaded guilty to a felony that carries a 10 year MINIMUM sentence, yet he is free until a December 17 (more than three months away) sentencing. WHY? WHY? Why is he free on an no money, 'personal recongnince" bond?
What are the conditions? Can he still access a computer to lure more children? Let's have some more information on this case, please.
Sick Pig!! He oughta be behind bars already......
Does he get to keep his pension?
Any way you look at this it just doesn't get to a feel good moment.
Unbelievable! Out of jail until December. That is crazy! Neiman, I hate to say I think he does get his pension. Hopefully Bubba takes care of that. Adding on to the burdened taxpayer mantra, can we sue him?
In this day and age, are you kidding me?
How stupid can you be?
What a dork!
When the other inmates bend this guy over in jail-he's gonna wish he'd never been born.
Denro...right on...how stupid can this guy be....yeah like nobody except young girls saw his friggin sick ad...
Again, one of America' DUMBEST Criminals...
We need to find out how they can get these amazing public layabout jobs. I see them all the time at the gym, then cruising around the Pollo Loco, sending the lowest seniority lucky boys into the place to get their munchies. This has to end, they are just a bunch of loafers, maybe at best high school grads with connections.
Nothing more. Disgusting mostly white trash.....
they need to change the age of consent. gurls of today are so much diffrent then those of yester-years
Okay, now I get it, he's a Vohwinkel!
This is a federal case and if you are released on bond you do not have to report to prison until after you get sentenced. Even then, he may be free even after sentencing. He may have Upto 3-4 months before reporting to prison. In a state case, he would be locked up now, but with a much lesser sentence of actual time being served. He, with good behavior, can be out in as little as 8.5 years. Feds don't mess around. He will be on lifetime supervised release, so he will never reallly be free. He's a scum bag and if he doesn't get a camp or low security prison, he's in for a ruff ride. Protective custody is also a hell hole option for him too. 23 hour lock down
Bro, what's wrong with an 18 year old? He's sick and stupid. Money dint make a person good.
I agree. What is wrong with an 18 year old? Oh wait, some 18 year olds have taste.
He should have to pay back all his salary.
This guy's sentence has to do with his attempted crime. Why do you think he should pay back his salary or lose his pension when his crime had nothing to do with his job? That would be true only if his employment had a "moral terpitude" clause. While I think the firefighters generally work the system with regard to pay and overtime, that has nothing to do with this particular case.
Disgusting individual (and not very bright, either). Unfortunately, you will find these pervs in any occupation, which really isn't relevant, is it? Nor is it relevant when you all get on here and proclaim you're taxpayers. Firefighters, police officers, and all county, city, or state employees ALSO pay taxes, so in essence, I guess one could say they pay their own salaries, as well as many of yours, when they spend their $$ in the communities, businesses, etc. where you work.
What this man did is wrong on any level...but how so many of you seem to think that because you pay taxes you "own" him, or any other individual, and are so quick to point that out, is somewhat ignorant. May he be found guilty and sentenced to the maximum the law allows.
@JustAthought
Good point. But our local firefighters constantly parade their heroism, albeit by association with 9/11 and NYC firefighters earn a fraction of the salaries of Clark County. Can somebody explain why this man -- thanks Follow the Money! -- who is clearly as stupid as he he is nasty was making so much money? I guess that is an invitation for firemen to unleash their predictable egotism. I want change: as things stand, I ought to urge my kids to get into the hero business -- no college degree necessary.
Go hate me you and kin earning $100K, $200K, $300K while our city is dying.
to justathought,
NO, the taxpayers don't own him. But he is a public servant. A public servant costing us the taxpayer over $200 per year.
Where does the revenue come from for their pay, their benefits, their pensions.
First of all, why is this persons sallery even an issue or even reported in this article. Last month when the City of Henderson Police officer was arrested during a prostituion sting the paper never reported his sallery. I feel that again the paper is on a witch hunt to villinize all firefighters. Some people do work more than others and make additional money for doing so but this story has absolutly nothing to do with that. This story is one individual has made a very bad choice to hurt others and is now being punnished for it. Plain and simple.
To joselvnv, Maybe just start with school!. WOW!!!
Become a County FF and live a lavish lifestyle after you have been there a while. Not bad, who can blame them for going for as much as you can make? The taxpayers aren't rioting in the streets, so wealthy ff salaries will continue.
This creepy fireman cost taxpayers $303,000 in 2009 and $297,000 in 2008 according to transparent nevada....but this must be a misprint. He probably still gets the multi-million dollar pension also, even though he'll be in prison w/ Bubba.
Good thing this article wasn't published on 9/11, would have given ff something else to complain about.
It certainly is troubling that this guy not only is a pervert but he also fed in the public trough all these years.
.......arguably, another black-eye for the firefighters.