AG to look at charges against Lyon administrator

An investigation into the alleged criminal wrongdoing of former Lyon County Administrator Richard Glover is being reviewed by the Nevada Attorney General's Officer after the Lyon County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution last week, agreeing to cover costs, due to a conflict of interest on the county's part.

Lyon County District Attorney Bob Auer said that his office is handling a lawsuit against the city filed by the same family that is at the center of the criminal investigation. Because of that, he feels there a conflict when it comes to handling a criminal investigation concerning Glover's performance as administrator.

Auer said he forwarded the Nevada Division of Investigation report to the Attorney General's Office on Monday.

The wrongdoing relates to some of the allegations in the lawsuit.

In February, the sons of a Wellington man who died in 2006 of natural causes, filed a $10 million lawsuit against Lyon County and Glover, alleging that the police failed to investigate allegations of theft against Glover, and that Glover helped himself to their father's property.

In the federal suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, plaintiffs Richard Mathis, James Mathis and Anthony Mathis allege that when their father, Joe Robinson Mathis, died, then-administrator Richard Glover "ransacked" the Mathis home and took weapons, jewelry and money without proper authority, and with the intent to keep the property for himself, thus violating their civil rights to due process and unlawful search and seizure.

The suit alleges that when the Mathis sons filed a report of theft with the Lyon County Sheriff's Department, then-sheriff Sid Smith prevented officers "from investigating Glover's theft of plaintiffs personal property due to Glover's position as Lyon County's Public Administrator," and that Smith "used his authority as Lyon County sheriff to shield Glover from the consequences of Glover's wrongdoing."

The office of public administrator has been under much scrutiny recently after the county's most recent administrator, Jason McLean, pleaded guilty to theft, with the agreement that he would pay $16,000 in restitution from three separate estates he was initially charged with stealing from.

McLean will be sentenced Aug. 4.

- Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.