Nye County, NV, District Attorney Robert S. Beckett has been arrested! (Part 2)

In 2005, the US~Observer placed “Nye County District Attorney Robert S. Beckett’s unconscionable office under enough exposure that they were literally forced to drop their malicious charges” against the innocent Bud Sonnentag of Gabbs, Nevada, and featured many articles over the years “regarding the illegal activities of District Attorney Robert Beckett.” (Quotes from article, “Observer Hammers Nevada Corruption“).

Bud Sonnentag had been charged with two false, manufactured felony counts, each carrying a life sentence. Due to the exposure US~Observer brought to the Nye County DA’s office, a deal was reportedly struck by that office that if the US~Observer stopped publishing on the case, they would drop the charges against Sonnentag. Needless to say, the US~Observer brought Nye County’s Beckett to his knees and Sonnentag is, rightfully, a free man today.

In 2009, we were again called into action against a false charge coming from Beckett’s office in the case of Nevada vs. Mairs. Again, the US~Observer highlighted Beckett’s follies and continued corruption. And, again, the charges against the Mairs were dismissed before ever reaching trial, just like the Sonnentag case. Read this for the full story on the Mairs case.

Now, Nye County District Attorney Robert S. Beckett has been arrested and the US~Observer is ecstatic that this corrupt official will finally be held accountable somewhere other than within the pages of our own paper.

According to the Pahrump Valley Times:

“Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett was arrested Wednesday morning in Pahrump on 42 charges relating to his county-wide Bad Check Program. His bail has been set at $207,500.

“The arrest comes in the middle of his campaign for re-election.

“The Nye County Sheriff’s Office said Beckett was booked into the Pahrump Jail on 20 counts of fraudulent appropriation of property, 20 counts of misconduct of a public officer, one count of embezzlement and one charge of malfeasance of office.

“The charges relate to alleged improper handling of the Bad Check Program initiated by Beckett 13 years ago. The program is operated and run using county employees and funds. Fees recovered from bad checks are deposited into the account and include administrative fees.

“The funds are dispersed from the account at the sole direction of Beckett.

“Sheriff Tony DeMeo explained the reason for the raid: ‘We got information that there may be some financial inconsistencies within the program.’

“He said the records were being reviewed by his department as well as by an independent auditor.

“It was subsequently found that Beckett made numerous donations to organizations throughout the community from the Bad Check Program bank account, according to a sheriff’s office press release, including donations to school and community programs in which members of his family participated. There were also payments to individuals to assist them in financial struggles.

“It was also alleged that Beckett also used the funds in the account to pay off a loan for an unnamed individual.

“Beckett was at the end of his fourth term as Nye County district attorney, a position he has held since January 1994. The elected post pays $105,616 a year, a salary set by state law.”