LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Clark County worker faces fees for allegedly posing as a licensed lawyer in instances involving the estates of the deceased, the 8 Information Now Investigators have discovered.
Jerrell Roberts, 39, of North Las Vegas, faces eight felony fees, together with practising legislation with out a license and perjury, data mentioned. Police arrested Roberts on the Regional Justice Heart on Wednesday throughout a probate listening to.
Roberts shouldn’t be a licensed lawyer, has by no means utilized to grow to be an lawyer and has by no means sat for the Nevada bar examination, Las Vegas Metro police mentioned.
The hearings in query concerned at the least two probate instances, the place judges supervise the method of dividing an individual’s property after their dying.
On Aug. 12, a licensed Nevada lawyer reported to police {that a} man, later recognized as Roberts, had recognized himself by that lawyer’s distinctive bar quantity throughout a listening to. Throughout court docket hearings, attorneys establish themselves to judges with their full title and bar quantity — a novel identifier from the State Bar of Nevada.
One other lawyer current for the probate case instructed police Roberts was representing one other member of the family, paperwork mentioned. The lawyer grew to become suspicious of Roberts due to “him making legal arguments using proper legal terminology but in the wrong context.”
A transcript of the listening to later decided that Roberts offered one other lawyer’s bar quantity, paperwork mentioned.
A detective later discovered Roberts works as a juvenile probation officer on the Clark County Juvenile Courtroom Providers, paperwork mentioned. In 2024, a choose swore Roberts in to the place and in addition “administer[ed] the oath of attorney,” although the choose didn’t affirm with the bar.
After police detained him on Wednesday, Roberts instructed detectives he’s a “special administrator” and never an lawyer, police mentioned.
“When questioned why he used [that bar number], Roberts stated that he made up the number,” paperwork mentioned. “Roberts said that while at work, he has heard bar numbers ranging from the mid to low hundreds up to 1,000, and that the 15,000 must not return to anyone.”
Roberts posted a surety bond and was scheduled to return to court docket on Sept. 24 to see if prosecutors had filed a felony grievance in opposition to him, data mentioned. An lawyer representing him was not listed.
Roberts was on unpaid go away as of Thursday, a county spokesperson confirmed.
8 Information Now Investigator David Charns will be reached at [email protected].
