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Criminal charges related to Harrah's remodeling dismissed
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Updated: Jan. 7, 2010 | 10:32 a.m.
A cloud of criminal charges that has hung for two years over Harrah’s Entertainment, in connection with illegal remodeling at its eight local hotels, was finally dispelled Friday morning.
Judge Eric Goodman in Las Vegas Justice Court dismissed six misdemeanor counts faced by the hotel company and two hotel employees. Goodman, who happens to be the son of the Las Vegas mayor, did so after hearing statements by Clark County District Attorney David Roger and Harrah’s attorney, who is Richard Bryan, the former governor and U.S. senator.
The two sides jointly sought dismissal of the charges, which involved violations of building and fire codes, with a maximum fine of $1,000 per count. The two individual defendants were heads of engineering, at the Rio Hotel and Harrah’s Las Vegas, at the time that county inspectors issued citations in late 2007.
Roger told the court his office had two options: obtain criminal convictions or obtain compliance with safety codes. Since misdemeanor convictions would yield only paltry misdemeanor fines, prosecutors decided to work with Harrah’s to correct safety deficiencies.
“Misdemeanor citations are used as a tool to gain compliance,” reads a statement from the District Attorney’s Office. “Harrah’s has demonstrated cooperation in achieving compliance as required.”
Reached by telephone late Friday morning, Marybel Batjer of Harrah’s Entertainment said, “We appreciate that the county has recognized our commitment to complying with all local building codes. This issue is now resolved.”
To reach compliance, the county hired an architectural firm, Leo A Daly, which conducted an independent audit of 84 remodeling projects of varying scope that had taken place over the last eight years throughout the eight properties, which are all on the Strip, except for the Rio.
In May, Leo A Daly turned over its findings — which run almost 700 pages long — to the county, which managed the audit contract, county spokeswoman Stacey Welling said.
Since May, building inspectors have been checking hotel sites identified by the firm as presenting safety issues, and Harrah’s has been fixing problems validated by the inspectors.
Harrah’s Entertainment reimbursed the county $1.1 million, the full cost of Leo A Daly’s work. In addition, Harrah’s Entertainment has also paid a $100,000 administrative fee to the county for the review process. That fee does not include the costs of permits or inspections for repairs to defective work, as prompted by the audit.
“The vast majority” of anomalies detected by Daly auditors are matters that crop up in “many, if not all, equivalent or similar size municipalities across the nation,” according to the Daly report.
“There is no apparent, or underlying, large scale conspiracy effort to neglect” the permit and inspection processes that govern construction in Clark County, according to a cover letter from the Daly audit team, which was signed by Thomas Czech, a vice president at the firm, and Ronn Lansky, who managed the audit.
But “approximately 22 percent of the (170 Daly) inspections revealed possible life safety issues,” the summary says. Roger told Goodman at the 7:30 a.m. Friday hearing that Harrah’s is currently doing the final two life-safety repairs.
The majority of the life-safety issues Daly identified — which ranged from a single loose hand railing in hotel space occupied by a fast-food tenant, to unsealed holes in walls that are installed to stop the spread of smoke in the event of accidental fire — “appear to be a result of post-construction activity” such as maintenance or replacement, rather than poor initial construction.
Since the Review-Journal’s 2007 exposure of large-scale but covert remodeling at the Rio and Harrah’s Las Vegas -- which took place several years earlier, without permits or inspections -- Clark County has instituted a program to inspect high-rise and resort facilities on an ongoing regular basis, not just when it receives safety complaints about completed buildings.
Contact reporter Joan Whitely at jwhitely@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0268.
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Harrah's remodeling has been a news topic for several years.
to read 2007 articles go to:
http://www.lvrj.com/hottopics/harrahsremodel.html?startDate=01/01/2007&endDate=12/31/2007
to read 2008 articles go to:
http://www.lvrj.com/hottopics/harrahsremodel.html?startDate=01/01/2008&endDate=12/31/2008
to read 2009 stories go to:
http://www.lvrj.com/hottopics/harrahsremodel.html?startDate=01/01/2009&endDate=12/31/2009
More on Harrah's dirty laundry:
ASBESTOS exposure to construction workers, hotel employees and Hotel Guests during the course of many of Harrah's illegal remodels at their various properties. Employees were made to scrape asbestos off of hotel room ceilings with no protection whatsoever, and with no training...documented having taken place at Harrah's, the Flamingo and Caesar's Palace! Harrah's knowingly and willfully exposed all of us to a known carcinogenic...again & again! And keep in mind Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. did this for a period of time far exceeding a decade.
Currently at Harrah's, asbestos is being abated in areas that I and many other Engineers worked in on a regular basis...again with no training, no awareness and no protection. I have pictures showing the layer of fine white dust that coated everything above the ceiling, and since the area is open with circulating air, one can only imagine how long the asbestos fibers remained airborne after we unknowingly disturbed it time after time. We would come down from working in the ceiling coated with dust, walk through the Casino to get back to the Engineering Dept., and then use the air hose to clear our clothes and bodies of the dust!
I worked for almost 9 months unaware of the asbestos danger because Harrah's management team kept it a secret until after I blew the whistle. And then, we only received the asbestos awareness class, which was given to us by Converse Consultants. It was at this meeting that Tom Adams apologized to all of the Engineers & Teamsters present for having exposed us to asbestos. Tom Adams agreed to allow any of us that wanted to be tested, including family members to do so at the companies expense...unfortunately no one was ever tested - to this day!
This is to the poser below who is using Fred Frazetta as his handle:
First. I would really appreciate it if you would spell my name correctly...two z's in the last name. Second, funny you would bring up Robert Bruna...this is the same man that was caught having removed a bag of money from a Guests Room - I am sure that it was accidental that is why he got to keep his job. Mr. Bruna also had an accident at Harrah's Hotel & Casino, he fell through the ceiling onto a bar and cut up his face pretty bad...sued Harrah's got money and left - he was not supposed to be able to return, but when he again needed a job Mr. Tom Adams re-hired him. Now, Tom Adams is one of the culprits who was heavily involved in the illegal remodels at Harrah's, Flamingo, Rio, and O'Shea's. When I became the official Whistleblower on July 3rd, 2006 - that is right, a whole year before I was fired Tom Adams was the Director of Facilities at Harrah's, who was overseeing the numerous illegal remodels. Leon Vermillion, was the new Chief Engineer...promoted because he did such a fine job on the illegal remodel at the Rio, where I started working for Harrah's. I must point out the fact that Mr. Vermillion was a licensed contractor, who was well aware of the County's permit & inspection procedures. Bob Bruna was the Assistant Chief Engineer under Leon. Shane Jacobs the current Chief Engineer at Harrah's was Senior Watch and he was the first person that I told that I was the whistleblower. Shane Jacobs told me: "we have all been exposed to asbestos, it is part of the job, and if you can't handle it you should find another job!"
Ever notice how all of the controversial issues, light criminal sentences, names of people you would recognize committing crimes, incidents like the above issues, and dismissal of cases all seem to get resolved at the end of the week and the reults, verdicts, decisions etc. are released and reported on/at a time when the fewest number of people are least likely to read the paper or watch local television newscasts. Just wondering???
The most glaring difference between the KESSLER REPORT and the DALY REPORT?
The DALY REPORT will be looked at as GOSPEL. Politicians will view it as a VICTORY for SAFETY.
The KESSLER REPORT? Too "scathing" and "shocking" and "disturbing" to look at. You know where that one went?
STRAIGHT TO THE SHREDDER. 75 GRAND of Taxpayers money. WASTED. Why?
It outlined the TRUTH. The PAYOFFS. THE KICK-BACKS. THE BRIBES.
It could have saved lives. It had to be discredited.
Otherwise someone, correction, EVERYONE would have went to jail. Can't have that in Las Mexico...
KESSLER REPORT vs. DALY REPORT
The Kessler Report cost the TAXPAYER over $75,000.00. What did it reveal?
Let's review. From the R.J. pages:
Mar. 17, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
CLARIFICATION ON 03/18/08 -- A story that appeared in Monday’s Review-Journal should have made it clear that the Kessler Report, on Clark County building inspection and fire inspection practices, contained the following allegation: “A number of individuals with whom (Michael) Kessler spoke advised Kessler that some Building Division and CCFD inspectors did not want to create a hostile environment at the hotels where they were assigned to inspect complaints since it was alleged that certain inspectors received comps from the hotels including meals, show tickets, stays at other properties and branded clothing.”
By FRANK GEARY
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Harrah's Remodel
"Clark County officials last week described an audit of the county's building and fire safety inspections as "scathing," "shocking" and "disturbing" and promised quick, decisive action to correct long-standing problems."
"The audit also found that the inspectors received show tickets, free meals, clothing and hotel stays in violation of state law."
The Daly Report cost Harrah's $1,100,000.00 to make evrything DISAPPEAR.
Nevermind that Harrah's spent $60,000,000.00 PLUS cleaning up the mess BEFORE DALY was hired to investigate their OTHER properties.
"But “approximately 22 percent of the (170 Daly) inspections revealed possible life safety issues,” the summary says."
That's 40 more LIFE THREATENING VIOLATIONS.
So what have we learned?
Elected Politicians will do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to protect their CASINO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.
Even if it puts MILLIONS of lives in danger. PRICELESS!
What Dumbel Ratjer said: "We appreciate that the county has recognized our commitment to complying with all local building codes. This issue is now resolved.”
What Dumbel Ratjer meant: "If we were really committed to complying with all building codes, this would have never happened in the first place. See you in the backroom, judge."
vegas john, that's called 'Trooper Tax', where Law Enforcement gives up its professionalism (such as it might have been) and becomes armed tax collectors.
Of course the citizens wont approve a legal tax increase, so a 'virtual implied' tax increase is implemented via stepped up enforcement of laws, some so obscure they haven't been enforced since the 19th century.
As to the dismissal, how ever much it cost Harrah’s in 'donations' will pay off, as they need extra $$$ to buy Planet Hollywood and complete the dual (with MGM) monopoly of the gaming industry in Vegas. Anti-trust payoffs have got to be very $$$$!