Comments (37) | Add a comment
Arrest of high-profile drug case prosecutor stuns colleagues
-
David Schubert, chief deputy district attorney, was arrested Saturday for possession of rock cocaine.
Tools
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Mar. 22, 2011 | 9:29 a.m.
Low-key Chief Deputy District Attorney David Schubert kept to himself and was the last person colleagues expected to get arrested and accused of possession of rock cocaine.
The shock of Schubert's arrest Saturday in an east valley neighborhood and the charges of possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy, both felonies, rippled through the Regional Justice Center on Monday as investigators began reviewing the prosecutor's casework for potential irregularities.
Schubert, a 10-year veteran prosecutor, was assigned to a federal drug trafficking task force and handled high-profile drug cases, including last year's busts of celebrity socialite Paris Hilton and pop singer Bruno Mars.
Schubert, 47, made no statement to Las Vegas police after his arrest. He is scheduled to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on May 19 and could not be reached for comment Monday.
Colleagues said they were stunned to learn of Schubert's arrest. A private man, Schubert gave no indication of a substance abuse problem, they said.
But a convicted drug dealer told police Schubert was a regular customer, buying crack cocaine two or three times a week for the past six months.
District Attorney David Roger brushed aside questions about any stress in Schubert's life that might have precipitated drug use.
"I don't believe in excuses,'' Roger said. "You don't resort to rock cocaine to solve your problems."
Roger said that in reviewing Schubert's cases, he was satisfied that there had been no wrongful prosecutions, explaining that checks and balances in the system stem those concerns and that Schubert did not have access to drugs entered as evidence.
But detectives are trying to determine whether Schubert's actions compromised any investigations, including ongoing cases in which he was advising law enforcement officers.
Roger said Schubert was immediately suspended and can either resign or face termination.
Schubert's prosecution will be handled by the state attorney general's office "to avoid the appearance of any impropriety," Roger said.
A Las Vegas police officer stopped Schubert's white BMW about 4:50 p.m. Saturday near Desert Inn Road and Maryland Parkway after he observed a possible drug deal in an area known for it, authorities said.
As officers approached the car, Raymond Streeter, 43, jumped out of the passenger side and ran. He later told officers that he knew Schubert only as "Joe," a steady customer who would call him on his cell phone to arrange small crack buys.
Streeter was arrested in 2006 for felony possession of cocaine with intent to sell. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was ordered to attend counseling and pay a fine or perform community service. There are no indications that Schubert was involved in that or any other case involving Streeter.
While interviewing Schubert, an officer noticed what proved to be .01 grams of cocaine in the prosecutor's car. Officers also found a legally registered handgun and a large amount of ammunition in the car.
The police report does not indicate whether Streeter was charged, and authorities did not respond to questions about his status on Monday.
Roger said he was immediately notified of Schubert's arrest and sent Assistant District Attorney Chris Owens to the scene to help detectives secure warrants for a blood sample and to search Schubert's two Las Vegas homes.
Schubert has prosecuted a myriad of drug-related cases in District Court and at least one in federal court.
A graduate of the Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Schubert worked as a law clerk in the district attorney's office before he was admitted to the State Bar of Nevada in 2001. He became a prosecutor in 2002.
County and court records show Schubert's 10-year marriage ended in divorce in 2005, but he had no legal troubles.
As a prosecutor, Schubert handled several high-profile cases, including that of New York-New York casino shooter Steven Zegrean, who was convicted in 2009 for a 2007 attack that left four people wounded.
In the Hilton case, the celebrity socialite was arrested in August after an officer found 0.8 grams of cocaine in her handbag following a traffic stop. She pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to probation.
Mars, a pop singer, songwriter and producer, agreed to plead guilty to felony cocaine possession and was sentenced to a year of informal probation. If completed, Mars can withdraw the plea and the case will be dismissed.
Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@ reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.
Comments
Terms & Conditions
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The Review-Journal does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please use the Report Abuse button.
Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 24 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
For MGH and Gary ... I do believe the DC-suits are already in there doing what needs to be done. Think about it, why do you think that there has been no mention of the the "basis/grounds" for Ron Titus' firing, a tax-payer funded position that occurred back in January of this year? The HOA investigation's tentacles are far-reaching and this particular case of fraud/corruption touches every corner of the Nevada state's judicial machinations (from IT and judicial record keeping non-protocols to the clerk's office, judges, attorneys, probate, civil and family court systems). The day of reckoning is coming for the State of Nevada. I would not be surprised at all if the Feds step in and take over all judicial operations, due to the extreme level of institutional dysfunction, legal fraud, and corruption. Don't bother posting about this stuff at Las Vegas Legal Life (LVLL). Everybody over there is "hearing impaired" and any time you mention the words "legal fraud" and "corruption" they translate that as "conspiracy theorist" or wanna be "conspiracy theorist" and that's probably because a good majority of the people who post and read that blog have had some involvement in the course of these events. That's the view from here. HawkEye over-and-out.
everyone knows how corrupt clark county is.check out david rogers past.
can he call paris hilton for some bail money? She's got millions and will be glad to "help out."
@gary How do you propose we do this Gary. I'm in....and I have my evidence
he looks like a republictard and acts like a demotard
@ gary . . . You may just be right on that one. My 4th Amendment rights were violated by a NLV detective - the mayor & council members (at that time - they've changed somewhat now), the City Attorney's office and the police chief (at that time) were made aware of it, merely blew me off. I then went to a local FBI agent, his reply was to the effect: "We're swamped with cases right and aren't taking any new ones unless it involves a million dollars or more." Funny way to say, "Thank you Mr. Taxpayer for paying my wages - bye!"
MGH: Don't expect the feds (FBI), to bring the corruption of Roger's office down. The local FBI is too chummy with the local boys. We'd have to get investigators from outside the state to see any worthwhile change.
"Colleagues said they were stunned to learn of Schubert's arrest."
Please! I still recall many ex-law students in college that partook of drugs regularly. My ex-lawyer was a pothead! I even lived next door to a cop who would throw wild parties, and the stench of pot would permeate the entire neighborhood. Lawyers, cops... Many of these professions do drugs. How many judges have been caught with bags of dope over the past 10 years? Lets face it, it's no different than 1920's Prohibition.
DAVID ROGER IS STUNNED BY ANY AND EVERYTHING.
Wow----.01 GRAMS of dope !!! Barely enough for one little "toke" !!! Can you say "Misdemeanor" !!!