Author: Tom Darby

Fraud Allegations Continue to Mount

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against New York and key state officials over the 2019 “Green Light” law, which allowed thousands of illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses while barring federal immigration enforcement agencies from accessing state motor vehicle records. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Albany, was announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi during a Wednesday press conference.

Defendants include Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder. The lawsuit challenges the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, which prevents state agencies from sharing motor vehicle data with federal authorities for immigration enforcement.

The law came under fire after reports of fraudulent activity related to the program surfaced. An investigation by the Times Union in 2021 uncovered widespread cheating in the state’s driver permit program, with the fraudulent credentials used by illegal aliens to obtain licenses and access unemployment benefits through the state’s Excluded Worker Fund. That $2.1 billion pandemic-era program provided financial aid to illegal aliens who were ineligible for traditional benefits.

In December, multiple agencies, including the New York inspector general’s office, announced the indictment of five men, including two illegal aliens who later returned to Brazil. Federal charges were filed in Massachusetts, accusing them of orchestrating a scheme by fraudulently obtaining driver’s licenses for over 1,000 illegal aliens.

Prosecutors allege the group charged customers around $1,400 per license, using forged residency documents and falsified driving school certificates. Critics of the Green Light law argue that it has undermined law enforcement efforts and enabled fraud on a massive scale. Former ICE acting director Matthew T. Albence warned in 2020 that withholding motor vehicle records from federal agencies compromised public safety, calling the move politically motivated.

Meanwhile, similar policies have been implemented elsewhere, including Nevada. In 2014, then-Governor Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 303, allowing illegal aliens to receive driver authorization cards (DACs). Allegations have also surfaced that non-citizens have used these credentials to vote illegally in state and federal elections.

New York officials, including former Governor Andrew Cuomo, have defended the Green Light law as a public safety measure, arguing that ensuring all drivers are licensed and tested benefits the public. However, ongoing fraud allegations and federal scrutiny continue casting doubt on the effectiveness and legality of the policy.

The Fernley Justice Court has confirmed that Jamie Barber has been arrested and charged with open murder in connection with the 2023 shooting death of her ex-husband, Austyn Barber.

Barber maintains that the shooting was an act of self-defense. While initially charged following the incident, the District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case, citing insufficient evidence.

Despite the severity of the charge, Barber is not currently being held in jail as she awaits trial. Her preliminary hearing is in June.

And That May Be Next

RENO, Nev.—It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a man on probation ought to be mindful of his possessions, lest the authorities take a sudden and impolite interest in them. Such wisdom, however, appears to have eluded one Garret Ferguson, whose domestic inventory included an item commonly not associated with quiet, law-abiding living—a cannon.

On February 6, the Nevada State Police’s Parole and Probation Division paid Ferguson a social call to see if he was, as the law puts it, behaving himself. The Reno Police Department and the FBI, always eager for a lively afternoon, joined in.

What they found was a veritable museum of mayhem: sixteen firearms, an assortment of knives fit to outfit a band of cutthroats, a generous supply of machetes, swords worthy of a medieval knight, and, of course, the pièce de résistance—a functioning cannon. Why a man on probation requires artillery is anyone’s guess, but one imagines he was preparing either for an exceedingly aggressive home invasion or an elaborate reenactment of the War of 1812.

Ferguson was promptly arrested and deposited in the Washoe County Jail on contempt of court and violating his probation, proving that while a man may arm himself to the teeth, he cannot outgun the long arm of the law.

The Southern Nevada Building Trades Unions (SNBTU) announced on social media it agreed to construct a complex for the Summerlin Production Studios Project.

“This means thousands of union construction jobs will be created in Nevada,” SNBTU stated in a post on its X account on Friday, February 7.

The $1.8 billion project, a partnership between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Howard Hughes Holdings, consists of 13 buildings, including sound stages, production facilities, and mixed-use developments. The proposed site is near Flamingo Road and Town Center Drive.

Construction of the project is expected to generate approximately 19,000 jobs, with an estimated 15,000 positions created once the studios are fully operational. However, the project’s future depends on whether Nevada lawmakers increase the state’s film tax incentives during the current legislative session.

Two bills introduced in the Nevada Legislature propose increasing tax credits for film and television projects at the Summerlin studios. The first of these, Assembly Bill 238, was recently filed and would provide up to $80 million in tax credits annually to major studios such as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery, starting in 2028.

The program would continue through 2043. To qualify, studios would need to spend at least $400 million in Nevada, ensure that 50 percent of their filming occurs in the state, and complete production within 18 months. A separate version of the bill is expected to be introduced in the Nevada Senate.

Under current law, the state offers $10 million in tax credits, but the proposed bills would raise that figure to between $90 million and $100 million.

Two men are in jail for a fraud scheme in south Reno that scammed victims out of nearly $50,000.

On Monday, deputies with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fraud report in which victims claimed they lost $49,300. According to a statement from the Sheriff’s Office, the suspects carried out their scheme by impersonating representatives from Amazon’s fraud department and an officer with the Federal Trade Commission. Even after the initial theft, the scammers continued to pressure the victims for additional payments.

A joint investigation involving Washoe County Patrol Deputies, Washoe County Property Detectives, the Northern Nevada Regional Intelligence Center, and the Human Exploitation and Recovery Operations Unit led to the arrest of the suspects when they arrived in Northern Nevada to collect more money.

On Wednesday, authorities arrested Mohjid Singh and Habri Harmal in connection with the case. They were charged with multiple felonies, including theft of $3,500 or more from an elderly victim, exploiting an older or vulnerable person for $5,000 or greater, and two counts of conspiracy to abuse and exploit or isolate an older or vulnerable person.

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating whether the two suspects were involved in similar fraud cases in Northern Nevada.

Federal officials arrested Victor Martinez-Mendoza, a twice-deported illegal alien, at a Las Vegas probation office just days after being sentenced to three years of probation on a drug charge.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents took Martinez-Mendoza into custody on January 27 while he was reporting to a parole and probation office. His legal troubles began in May 2024 when Las Vegas Metro police arrested him on domestic battery charges. While held at the Clark County Detention Center, jail officials notified ICE of his undocumented status, following standard procedure for felonies, DUI, domestic violence-related crimes, and theft.

Martinez-Mendoza pleaded no contest in June 2024, agreeing to attend domestic violence counseling and parenting classes and pay a fine. However, by November, he faced new charges of drug trafficking involving cocaine and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The following month, he pleaded guilty to a drug possession charge.

On January 22, Clark County District Court Judge Jennifer Schwartz sentenced Martinez-Mendoza to probation with the condition that he serve at least three years in jail if he violated the terms. She also warned him to comply with any immigration-related orders.

Days later, ICE arrested him.

Court records show that Martinez-Mendoza had been deported to Mexico twice in 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term. Earlier this month, federal Judge Daniel Albregts ordered him detained pending trial. Despite being in federal custody, a Las Vegas Justice Court judge issued a bench warrant this week for his failure to appear in a hearing related to his original domestic violence case.

ICE has not responded to multiple requests regarding immigration-related arrests in Southern Nevada since Trump began his second term. However, reports indicate that a 14-time deported illegal alien was also recently removed.

Nevada State Senator Ira Hansen has placed Attorney General Aaron Ford on notice, demanding answers regarding the state’s failed fiber optic project, in which $9 million in public funds remain unaccounted for. The controversy has deepened as the attorney representing Uprise, the troubled internet company at the center of the scandal, seeks to withdraw from the case following revelations of financial mismanagement.

The fallout comes after the resignation of Uprise’s owner from his family’s investment business, raising further concerns about the company’s stability. Meanwhile, Comm NV has taken legal action against Uprise and the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) for non-payment, intensifying scrutiny over the failed project planned for Lovelock.

Law enforcement agencies, including the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, the Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and the FBI, have launched a criminal investigation into the matter. With millions in state funds missing and no progress on the optic infrastructure, questions about oversight and accountability continue to mount.

Since assuming office in 2014, Reno Mayor Hilary Schieve has received credit for various initiatives revitalizing the city. Supporters frequently highlight her achievements, while critics question the accuracy of the claims and point to concerns over transparency, homelessness, and financial priorities.

A significant point of discussion is the city’s financial health. Schieve “reduced debt by approximately $385 million with the reduction over the last years being the fastest reduction in the history of Reno.”

However, an examination of available financial records indicates that the city’s total debt decreased from $648 million in 2009 to $515 million by 2014, before Schieve’s tenure. As of July 1, 2024, the city’s debt stood at $494 million, reflecting a modest reduction.

In 2018, the city refinanced the RETRAC bonds, which had an outstanding balance of approximately $230 million. By 2024, this balance was about $204 million, with the bonds’ maturity extended to 2058.

While it reduced short-term debt payments, it prolonged the city’s financial obligations. Some critics argue this refinancing was more of a restructuring than a reduction.

Schieve also worked to revitalize Reno’s MidTown District, promoting affordable housing and enhancing mental health services. Her leadership contributed to Reno receiving a $30,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant for a public art project.

Additionally, she has been instrumental in downtown redevelopment projects, including renovating the historic Crest Motel into the Renova units. However, out of 18 motels demolished, only the Crest Motel has been renovated, with limited progress on other properties acquired for redevelopment.

Critics argue that while the mayor has supported developers like Jacobs Entertainment in their efforts to clear out blighted properties, she has failed to ensure follow-through on promised affordable housing. Many of the lots remain vacant, with no clear plans for future development.

Reno has also faced growing criticism for its handling of homelessness. During Schieve’s tenure, the city has implemented sweeps of homeless encampments, pushing many unsheltered individuals out of downtown and into surrounding areas.

While the Nevada Cares Campus was to provide shelter, some advocates argue it is poorly managed and has not significantly reduced homelessness. In 2023, Reno was sued over its treatment of homeless residents, adding to the controversy.

In 2023, Schieve was elected President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Under her leadership, Reno’s General Obligation Limited Tax bond ratings were upgraded to Aa3 from A1 by Moody’s, reflecting confidence in the city’s economic stability.

However, her administration has also faced criticism for a perceived lack of transparency. One of the most significant controversies arose in late 2022 when Schieve sued a private investigator for tracking her vehicle with a GPS device.

The case raised questions about privacy, political opposition, and city governance. The lawsuit revealed that a political opponent hired the investigator, drawing attention to Shieve’s involvement in closed-door meetings and refusal to disclose certain city dealings.

Additionally, critics have accused Schieve of favoring insiders and politically connected individuals. Richard Jay, one of her most vocal supporters, serves on several boards, including the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority and the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, each requiring mayoral appointments.

Some argue that this level of insider support raises concerns about accountability and decision-making within city government. Jay defends Schieve’s record on social media, often challenging critics to disprove claims of her success.

Now, there once was a young feller in a town so small you could holler across it and still have breath to spare. This boy, call him Jimmy for the sake of the story, had a mind wider than the town and a knack for dreamin’ larger still.

Most nights, he’d lie in his room, his radio buzzin’ like a hive of bees with no queen. He’d twist the dials, chasing the voice of adventure but mostly catching static.

Static—that’s what Jimmy lived on.

One night, when he was about to give it up as a lost cause, the radio barked to life like an old dog with a new trick. There came a sound, a voice rich with promise, and Jimmy swore it carried the secrets of the world right there in the hum.

Before he could think better of it, he decided then and there: if a fella could saunter out to Hollywood and end up plastered on silver screens, then by thunder, so could he. He’d get his picture in a Picture Show or bust a gut trying.

You might think his folks would cheer him on, but that’s where you’d be wrong. His daddy, a practical man who knew a nickel’s worth but not the weight of a dream, told him to stop all this foolishness. “Jimmy,” he said, “there’s a whole world of hard work waitin’ right here if you’d only set your shoulders to it.”

His mamma, though, well, she wasn’t around to object. She’d gone on to glory some years back, and Jimmy sometimes thought it was her voice riding the static, tellin’ him to go on and give life a wallop.

So, Jimmy did just that. He packed his dreams into a knapsack, kissed his old man on the cheek to the poor fella’s befuddlement, and lit out of town.

Whether he made it big or scraped his meals out of the margins, that’s a tale for another time. But I reckon if you ever find yourself sittin’ in the flickering glow of a Picture Show, and you see some scrappy kid with a wild look in his eyes, you might just be watchin’ Jimmy, finally chasin’ that static down to its roots.

The air was cold and still on Gordon and Brown streets when they found him, an older gent, unmoving in his car. The call came in around 4:30 in the afternoon.

Someone had seen him, noticed he wasn’t right, and did what a good citizen does. They called it in.

Carson City Fire and the sheriff’s deputies rolled up, knowing what they would find. It doesn’t take long in a place like this to realize when a man has passed on.

The paramedics confirmed it. Sheriff Ken Furlong said there was no reason to suspect anything foul.

The man was old, and the body gave out. That’s how it is.

“The older gentleman is deceased. There’s nothing suspicious at this point and time,” Furlong said.

They’ll investigate, of course. That’s the job.

But death comes, and it comes for a lot of folks who never had a fair shake. Some worked their whole lives to be forgotten, while others sat in their car and faded away.