Bail set for $10,000 for former CSN construction chief accused of theft
A district judge on Wednesday set bail at $10,000 for the former construction chief at the College of Southern Nevada while he appeals his August 2010 conviction for stealing building material and equipment from the school to build a million-dollar home near Mount Charleston.
Last week, the state Supreme Court allowed Bob Gilbert to post bail, stating Gilbert’s appeal was not frivolous, there was no indication he’s a flight risk and he has made all of his court appearances.
A jury found Gilbert guilty of 11 felony counts of theft, and he was sentenced to one to four years at Three Lakes Valley Conservation Camp, a minimum-security facility in Indian Springs.
Gilbert’s attorney, Brent Bryson, said Gilbert would be able to post the amount set by Judge Donald Mosley and expected his client to be released sometime Wednesday.
Under the conditions of his release, Gilbert is free to work in the construction industry, but must disclose to any potential employers that he was convicted of theft and that the case is under appeal.
Gilbert has maintained he had permission from his bosses to use the material and equipment for college-related projects on his property and that no one from the college was harmed by his actions.
Bryson said his client’s “spirits are good.” He added, “Bob looks forward to the Supreme Court ruling on the facts of his case and the merits of his appeal.”
Gilbert is appealing several issues, including a claim that there was insufficient evidence presented at trial and that no one from the college during the trial said construction equipment or building materials were missing from the college.
Authorities said Gilbert and three co-defendants took construction-grade material and equipment from the college for Gilbert to build his house in lower Kyle Canyon, and the co-defendants worked on the house when they should have been working on campus. One state investigator described Gilbert’s property as a “Home Depot” of building supplies.
Former CSN President Ron Remington testified at the trial that he gave Gilbert permission to do construction work, including welding, at his residence because the college did not have the storage space or facilities for the work on campus. But he said Gilbert was not authorized to make personal use of college materials and equipment.
Days before the trial began, Gilbert’s co-defendants, Thad Skinner, Matthew Goins and George Casal, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit theft, a gross misdemeanor, and were sentenced to one year of probation.
Gilbert, a former Marine, refused a pretrial plea offer that included probation and payment of $20,000 in restitution in exchange for a guilty plea to three felony theft counts.
Gilbert had a prior felony conviction before taking his job at CSN. Gilbert pleaded guilty to an embezzlement charge involving $6,200 in 1991 based on accusations that arose while he worked as a construction manager for an Indian tribe in California.
Although it wasn’t required by the college at the time, Gilbert did disclose his felony conviction to the CSN president when he was hired.
Contact reporter Francis McCabe at
fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 792-380-1039.
