Two former heads of the Nevada Criminal History Repository were sentenced Wednesday for stealing sophisticated fingerprint-identifying machines from the repository.
Daryl Riersgard, former chief of the repository, and Jeff Artz, former program manager, were each charged with six felony counts in each of two indictments including misconduct, fraud and theft. They pleaded guilty in Washoe District Court to felony fraudulent misappropriation of property in the Washoe County case for allowing family members to take the Live-Scan fingerprinting computers worth $18,700 apiece from the repository for their family businesses.
The Reno business, Fingerprinting Express, is owned by Riersgard's wife, Becky. Fingerprinting Pros, of Las Vegas, is owned by Anthony Carillo, son of Artz's longtime girlfriend, Suzie.
Conrad Hafen, chief deputy of the criminal division and political corruption unit, said Riersgard and Artz were each sentenced to a fixed term of two years probation. In addition, Hafen said Riersgard will pay the state $3,995 and Artz $3,050. He said that represents the money the state paid on maintenance contracts for the two machines while they were in the defendants' possession.
Hafen said that as part of the deal, the Clark County charges, which mirror the Washoe charges, will be dismissed next week.
The machines, which have been in evidence since the indictment and long since replaced by newer models, are slated to be sold by State Purchasing in an auction.
Hafen said the attorney general's office will, "continue to aggressively prosecute state employees who engage in this type of behavior," and, he added, anyone else who defrauds the state.
• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.
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