Friends vouch for ousted UMC boss

By Tony Cook

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 | 2 a.m.

When you’ve been indicted on public corruption charges, friends aren’t easy to find.

But former University Medical Center boss Lacy Thomas proved last week he still has a few, gathering a handful of letters from friends who pleaded for his bail to be eliminated or reduced.

The Clark County district attorney’s office wasn’t impressed.

The kind remarks offered on Thomas’ behalf, a prosecutor said, were from friends and personal associates — some of whom haven’t been without legal difficulties of their own. Notably missing were letters written by people connected with UMC, where Thomas allegedly committed crimes.

A grand jury indicted Thomas on Feb. 20 on five counts each of felony theft and official misconduct. Those charges stem from allegations that he steered no-bid, no-work contracts at the county hospital to cronies in Chicago. Last week he submitted nine letters vouching for his character in an attempt to have his bail eliminated or greatly reduced.

District Judge Michael Villani decided to reduce Thomas’ bail Friday, although not by as much as Thomas wanted.

In writing those letters, several community leaders risked tainting their own reputations to help Thomas, whose actions, prosecutors say, led to $10 million in losses at the public hospital. The letter writers included a Las Vegas councilman, the chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, a prominent local pastor, the state leader of a charity group and five others.

In his letter, Las Vegas Councilman Ricki Barlow praised Thomas’ volunteer work with the Alpha Men & Divas of Tomorrow Youth Program.

“His relationship within the community speaks volumes of his character and work ethic,” Barlow wrote. “I am certain the judicial system will look favorably and equitably upon Mr. Thomas as he works toward addressing these harsh allegations that have been charged against him.”

Barlow ends his letter by inviting the judge to speak with him further about “a man who is highly regarded in the community for his various acts of kindness and community outreach.”

Barlow, who attends the same church as Thomas, says he doesn’t think writing the letter was politically risky.

“He is a good guy and has done a lot of good for the community,” he said. “I think everyone is innocent until proven guilty.”

Others who wrote letters on behalf of Thomas included attorney John Bailey, chairman of the state athletic commission; pastor Robert Fowler of Victory Missionary Baptist Church; Nevada March of Dimes Director Dale Andreason; former Las Vegas Urban League Chairwoman Jacqulyn Shropshire; three local doctors; and a Las Vegas insurance agent.

Thomas’ attorney, Dan Albregts, argued in court filings that Thomas is not a flight risk because of his ties to the community and his desire to fight the charges. He also said Thomas has had trouble finding a job because of the allegations against him.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Scott Mitchell shot back in court documents, arguing that Thomas regularly tried to avoid legal oversight during his time at UMC. He quoted grand jury testimony from county officials, including County Manager Virginia Valentine, who testified Thomas “generally felt he was outside of the law or above it.”

In questioning the letters supporting Thomas, Mitchell noted that Barlow is a member of the same fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, as Thomas. That’s significant because Thomas is accused of recommending do-nothing contracts to a fraternity brother in Chicago, Mitchell said.

Another letter writer, Dr. William Dougan, was involved in a county ethics scandal in the 1990s, Mitchell said.

Dougan was partners with political insider Michael Chambliss in a concession business at the county-run McCarran International Airport. In 1998 the Nevada Ethics Commission ruled that then-Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates violated state law by adding Chambliss to a preferred list for consideration of airport concessions. Atkinson Gates later sued the ethics commission in state court and had the decision overturned.

Mitchell said the letter writers “base their recommendation not on the job performance of Mr. Thomas at UMC, but because of associational ties to organizations Mr. Thomas belongs to. Conspicuous by their absence are any letters of recommendation from staff members or former staff members at University Medical Center or those with supervisory authority over him.”

The court filings culminated in the decision Friday by Villani. He set bail at $350,000, less than the $500,000 prosecutors wanted but far more than the $30,000 or less sought by Thomas’ attorney.

Thomas posted bail Friday afternoon. His case is set for trial Sept. 8.