A suspended Metro officer accused of conspiring in a fraud scheme will be released without monetary bail but subjected to electronic monitoring, a judge ordered Thursday.
Antonio Chavez, 28, and his wife, Claudia Guzman-Marquez, 30, face charges of theft over $25,000 but under $100,000, burglary of a business, conspiracy to commit burglary and theft and perjury.
Both were in jail custody during their hearings Thursday.
Citing Chavez’s lack of criminal history, community ties and nonviolent charges, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Rebecca Saxe rejected a prosecution request for monetary bail but said he would be placed on electronic monitoring.
The judge ordered Guzman-Marquez, who is pregnant, to be released with monitoring as well.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Eckley Keach asked for $100,000 cash bail and house arrest for Chavez, with a hearing to determine the source of the funds if posted.
“He knew better,” Keach said. “He knows what the law is and he knows that he violated the law willfully because he wanted to enrich himself and his family.”
Chavez admitted to investigators that he conspired with his wife and “a third party in California” in a commercial fraud scheme to defraud stores and credit card companies, according to the prosecutor.
Keach said Guzman-Marquez is just as guilty as her husband and made similar admissions.
Defense attorney Robert Draskovich argued that Chavez has no criminal history, cooperated fully with the investigation and has local ties.
“He’s presumed innocent,” Draskovich said. After court, he said the defense and prosecutors are working toward an “equitable resolution.”
Chavez has worked for the Metropolitan Police Department since 2020 and has been suspended without pay, the department said Wednesday.
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com.
