A judge on Tuesday sentenced the son of Clark County Commissioner William McCurdy II to probation after he pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit robbery.
William McCurdy III, 18, also identified in court records as William McCurdy Jr., previously faced additional counts: battery with intent to commit robbery and promote a criminal gang and robbery with intent to promote a criminal gang.
He and prosecutors agreed to recommend probation with a treatment program. Grand jury transcripts indicate that the incident that led to the case occurred during a fight involving rival gang associates at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, although alleged robbery victim Saleem Taylor denied it was gang motivated.
A detective testified that McCurdy was a member of Spazzout, a Crip subset, and that Taylor was also involved in a gang.
In exchange for McCurdy’s plea, prosecutors also agreed to dismiss two other cases, one in which he faced charges including attempted grand larceny of a vehicle and burglary of a vehicle and a second in which he was accused of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
“Mr. McCurdy actively participated in an event that involved, and I’m sure you knew, that someone had a firearm,” said District Judge Eric Johnson. “I understand he was laughing as they were terrorizing these people, which is sad in its own way and inexcusable. So in that regard, Mr. McCurdy, in my mind, is as fully involved in this as any of the other two people that he was with.”
He also noted that McCurdy had no prior felonies or gross misdemeanors. “This is Mr. McCurdy’s first serious brush with the adult system,” he said.
The judge placed McCurdy on probation for three years with an underlying suspended sentence of just over two years to six years in prison. He must also complete a rehabilitative court program.
There are other defendants in the case that led to McCurdy’s plea.
“He was the least culpable of all the charged defendants,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Madilyn Cole said after court.
Chanette Josa, who Cole indicated was a victim in the car burglary case, addressed the court and initially said after the hearing that she was happy justice had been served for McCurdy and hoped he would rehabilitate himself.
Once she heard that McCurdy was related to an elected official, however, she became less accepting of the outcome.
“Somewhere along the way, yes, this child was lost in the process and it’s disappointing to hear that his family member is an elected official,” Josa said.
Because of that connection, she said, the defendant should have been held to a different standard, but was “getting off instead of serving jail time.”
Probation is not an unusual sentence for someone in McCurdy’s position, said Frank Coumou, a defense lawyer uninvolved in McCurdy’s case who handled gang cases when he was a Clark County prosecutor.
“I hate seeing young clients, offenders who are taking felonies because it’s a job killer for them, so giving them a shot at probation, hopefully it’s a wake-up call,” he said.
McCurdy’s defense attorney, Ozzie Fumo, told the judge that prosecutors took into account his client’s actions and youth.
McCurdy has been admitted to a youthful offender program, has a limited criminal history with only a prior misdemeanor offense and is very remorseful, the attorney said.
Fumo said McCurdy is also a young father and is trying to find work. In a brief statement, McCurdy apologized to his victims.
Josa told the judge she was forever changed by the actions of McCurdy and his friends, who tried to vandalize and steal her car.
“To have a gun pointed at you is the scariest thing a person will ever encounter in their life,” she said. “My whole life flashed before me and I couldn’t for the life of me think of anything else but to call out to God and say, ‘Lord, I know this isn’t how you want me to exit this world, so I’m asking and praying to you to spare my life.’”
She said after court that she has not been able to work because of the harm caused by the crime.
After she spoke, Cole said two other juveniles participated in the car burglaries and that McCurdy was not the person who pointed a gun at her. The others were ultimately not charged because of their age.
“Commissioner McCurdy II understands the media interest in his son’s legal matter,” a staffer for the defendant’s father said in an email Tuesday. “Now that this matter has been resolved, the McCurdy family appreciates both the legal process and the court, and they will now move forward in this matter as a family. They have no further comments at this time.”
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com.
