Robert Telles, who was found guilty of murdering Jeff German, is scheduled to testify during the sentencing hearing. On Wednesday, the length of time a former Democratic politician from the Las Vegas region must serve in jail before being considered for parole will be revealed. The politician was found guilty of the murder of an investigative journalist who had published critical articles about him.
According to a source who spoke to Fox5 Vegas, Robert Telles, who was found guilty of ambushing and killing Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German outside German’s house over Labor Day weekend in 2022, is anticipated to speak at the sentencing hearing.
German, 69, covered corruption, justice, and crime in Las Vegas for 44 years. Telles was the elected administrator of a Clark County office that deals with issues involving unclaimed estate and probate property at the time of German’s passing.
Telles, 47, was given a sentence that a jury had set at 20 years to life in August. A judge on Wednesday has the authority to use several sentencing enhancements to raise the minimum term to 28 years before Telles is eligible for parole.
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After German’s articles in May and June 2022 detailed unrest at the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office, Telles lost his primary for a second term in office.
In one of them, German stated that “a half-dozen current and former employees interviewed by the Review-Journal are alleging the hostile work environment was fueled by the elected administrator of the office, Robert Telles, carrying on a ‘inappropriate relationship’ with a staffer that has harmed the office’s ability to deal with the public in overseeing the estates of those who have died.”
During the murder trial’s final arguments, prosecutor Christopher Hamner claimed that German hadn’t completed exposing Telles, which eventually prompted the politician to remove the seasoned journalist.
Hamner said, “And he did it because Jeff wasn’t done writing.” It resembles joining the dots. Because Jeff’s work wrecked his career, he killed him. It ruined his standing. It most likely constituted a danger to his marriage. Revealed information that, as he acknowledged, he did not want the public to know.”
The Associated Press writes that Telles gave a lengthy testimony during his trial, during which he first acknowledged the veracity of the office romance rumours. He alleged he was “framed” by a large-scale plot including the police, a real estate firm, DNA experts, former coworkers, and others, and he denied killing German. Additionally, he told the jury that he was being targeted because he was fighting corruption.
However, the discovery of Telles’ DNA under German fingernails was among the proof.
Because German was older than sixty years old, Telles’ sentence could be increased by up to eight years by Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt for employing a deadly weapon in a willful, intentional, and planned death, as well as for laying in wait before to the assault.
Robert Draskovich, Telles’ lawyer, has stated that Telles plans to file an appeal against his conviction.
