News Briefs, Feb. 8

Police officer pleads not guilty

Boulder City Police Officer Jeffrey Grasso pleaded not guilty in District Court on Jan. 31 to 14 nonviolent felonies, which charge him with exploiting and stealing from his handicapped son. He is scheduled to go to trial Aug. 6.

Grasso was indicted Jan. 11 for two counts of exploitation of a vulnerable person, two counts of theft, four counts of burglary, five counts of forgery, and one count of offering false instrument for filing or record.

His son, Giulian Grasso, was in a skateboarding accident in 2012 when he was 15. He suffered a traumatic brain injury that requires him to use a wheelchair. In 2016, he was relearning to walk and unable to use his left arm.

According to the indictment, between January 2014 to May 2016 Grasso allegedly forged documents from the Hyperbaric Institute of Nevada to falsely withdraw more than $10,000 from charitable accounts at the Boulder Dam Credit Union that had been set up to help pay for his son’s care.

Grasso is on unpaid leave from the Boulder City Police Department.

Local bank robbed

On Friday, a 29-year-old man robbed Nevada State Bank, 1000 Nevada Way, at approximately 9:30 in the morning. According to the Boulder City Police Department, he produced a note demanding $10,000, which also said that he had a gun. He did not, however, show a gun to the teller.

The bank teller acquiesced with the request and gave him an undisclosed number of bills. The police arrived within minutes and apprehended the suspect. They estimated he took $1,900 from the bank and $80 worth of bait cash. The money was recovered, but a gun was not.

FBI agents also responded to the scene and are conducting a concurrent federal investigation. The suspect was booked into Clark County Detention Center. The police department does not know yet whether he will face state or federal charges.

Social media safety seminar to be held Monday

Metropolitan Police Department is presenting a free class “The Dark Side of Social Media” in Bounder City at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, for parents and high school students. It will be held at the lecture hall at Boulder City High School, 1101 Fifth St.

The seminar, presented by the Las Vegas police department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Sex Crimes Section, will cover internet safety and awareness as well as the dangers of social media for children can protect themselves. The content is not suitable for children under the age of 14.

BCHS not likely to lay off staff

The 2018-2019 budget for Boulder City High School will allow the school to keep its current staff as well as provide additional funds to pay teachers to work during regularly scheduled preparation periods, as needed.

At its Jan. 31 meeting, the school organization team approved presenting the high school’s budget and its performance plan at the team’s next meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 7. If approved, both will be forwarded to the school district for further approval.

Details of Wednesday’s meeting will be in next week’s paper.