Federal prosecutors Friday provided new details in an elaborate conspiracy to fix homeowners association elections across the Las Vegas Valley. The revelations centered around the activities of former construction company boss Leon Benzer, the accused mastermind of the scheme to take over the HOA boards. In a plea agreement struck with prosecutors, Ricky Anderson, a 50-year-old Kung Fu grandmaster who is alleged to have served as an “enforcer” for Benzer, laid out for the first time Benzer’s critical role in the election rigging. Anderson, who is in federal custody, pleaded guilty Friday to one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. U.S. District Judge James Mahan set a Jan 21 sentencing date.
Charles La Bella, a deputy chief of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section in Washington, praised the help Anderson has provided prosecutors since agreeing to change his plea. “Mr. Anderson has been very truthful and very cooperative with the government,” La Bella told Mahan. Read more: