The Clark County district attorney and a defense lawyer for Gary Guymon, the Las Vegas attorney accused of sex trafficking and plotting with felons to kill a client, say Guymon’s criminal case appears to have reached a resolution, or so they think. Guymon, 62, is expected to plead no contest to two counts and have the remaining counts dismissed, according to his lawyer, Craig Hendricks. Hendricks mentioned this on Friday, but he didn’t really want to specify which counts would be subject to the plea. On the other hand, the district attorney, Steve Wolfson, said that Guymon will make his no contest plea to two felonies, intimidating a witness and coercion, and is also agreeing to disbarment. Sounds like a lot, right?
Not really sure why this matters, but after his arrest, Guymon, a former prosecutor, faced counts of solicitation to commit murder, conspiracy to commit murder, sex trafficking of an adult, three counts of pandering, perjury, coercion with threat of force, and three counts of bribing or intimidating a witness. Wolfson mentioned that prosecutors focus on the strongest allegations, and in Guymon’s case, they wanted to concentrate on his behavior as a lawyer. Court records show that Guymon has not formally entered a plea in Clark County District Court yet. He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 22, but his attorneys previously alleged a “financial motive” was behind his case and said Guymon maintained his innocence. Wolfson added that the coercion count would relate to Guymon’s behavior with clients. Prosecutors will not make a recommendation at his sentencing, and the counts for which Guymon is not making a plea will be dismissed.
Let’s talk about the juicy details now. Police said Guymon intimidated a client into prostitution while maintaining a sexual relationship with her and conspired to have her killed. Guymon, who denied soliciting a murder, was interviewed by police at least twice and sent police 44 emails, plus voicemails and text messages, in which he tried to explain his actions with his client, according to a report. The Metropolitan Police Department also wiretapped his phone. In a call to a woman identified as his mistress, police reported that he said, “I am not saying I have anything to do with this, but the only way to stop this girl is to kill her. I’m not saying that’s the solution or you know.” Police said Guymon also encouraged women to engage in prostitution and perform sexual acts. Sounds like a real mess, right?
Not really sure why this is a thing, but according to police, Guymon described himself in a message as the “gorilla pimp,” meaning a violent pimp, of one of the women they interviewed. A police report said Guymon added: “Offer any resistance, and I just might smash your (expletive) teeth out of your mouth. Don’t worry. My father and brother will fix them when I have them get around to it, and I’ll pay for that too (expletive).” Guymon, a member of the Nevada bar since 1989, has faced legal trouble before. He prosecuted high profile defendants like Margaret Rudin, who was convicted of killing her husband but later had her conviction vacated, then left the district attorney’s office after his name surfaced in a public corruption case involving county commissioners and Cheetah’s strip club owner Michael Galardi. In 2009, authorities said surveillance video showed Guymon stealing a necklace worth less than $300 from a gift shop mannequin at the Sundance Resort in Utah. The Utah County attorney’s office charged him with one count of misdemeanor theft. He pleaded no contest to trespassing.
All in all, it’s a sad day for everyone involved, according to attorneys who knew and worked with Guymon. They mentioned that Guymon had been “a star in the courtroom,” but he fell. It’s his problem, they said. Another former coworker, attorney Frank Coumou, mentioned that as a prosecutor, Guymon was probably one of the best in the office. He was well-prepared, and “juries loved him.” It’s sad to see somebody with such a phenomenal career record to end with a plea bargain on felony charges, they added. Attorney Chris Rasmussen said Guymon should be given probation. “A lot of it’s just puffery and over the top language,” he said of the statements in Guymon’s police report. “He’s not some hard-core, criminal pimp,” Rasmussen added. Wolfson, the district attorney, mentioned that the most important thing is that Mr. Guymon not be able to practice law again. Guymon violated the trust of his clients, the public, and the legal system. But Wolfson didn’t think Guymon’s plea was something to celebrate. “It’s a sad day,” he said.
Maybe it’s just me, but this whole situation seems like a big mess that could have been avoided.
