Crime Corner
Pahrump man arrested after alleged altercation with deputies
A man was arrested last week after an alleged physical altercation with multiple sheriff’s deputies led to pair of preliminary charges.
Lance Gals, of Pahrump, was taken into custody by the Nye County Sheriff’s Office Thursday and charged with preliminary counts of battery on a protected person and resisting a public officer.
The arrest report states that the sheriff’s department was dispatched to the 3000 block of Pebble Beach Street for a possible disturbance.
When the responding deputy made contact with the caller, he stated that Gals was wandering around screaming at anyone who walked by and tried to coax a nearby gardener into a fight by chest bumping him, police said.
As two deputies attempted to make contact with Gals, who had locked himself behind a chain-link fence at his residence, he reached over the fence and grabbed one of the deputy’s shirt.
The deputy was able to break free from Gals’ grasp, the arrest report stated.
When Gals was identified as the suspect, the sheriff’s department said that he has a history of physical altercations with deputies.
Gals then continued to yell and proceeded to smash his head into the fence three times and said, “Bring it on. Let’s do this,” according to police.
Deputies made entry to Gals’ property and explained that they were going to transport him to Desert View Hospital for evaluation, when he resisted contact and hit a deputy as he attempted to apprehend him.
Gals then allegedly grabbed two other deputies when a detective deployed his taser at close quarters, after which Girls grabbed the taser from the officer.
A deputy then deployed his taser on Gals, to which another deputy tackled him by the legs and another deputy placed Gals in handcuffs and arrested him.
Gals was transported to the Nye County Detention Center and booked on the pair of preliminary charges without incident. Initial bail was at $8,140.
Man arrested for allegedly scamming with bogus tax and legal services
A Henderson man was arrested earlier this month after law enforcement discovered he was allegedly providing Pahrump residents with legal and tax services, but not actually carrying out any work.
Mathew Katz, 39, a Henderson resident, was arrested June 6 in his hometown of Henderson, by the Nye County Sheriff’s Office and charged with preliminary counts of unauthorized practice of law and obtaining signature by false pretense, after his alleged scheme.
NCSO detectives received information that Katz was providing legal and tax services to several members of the community.
Katz, claiming that he worked with a specific law firm in Pahrump, received approximately $4,700 from clients for his services.
NCSO detectives determined through the Nevada State Bar that Katz was not a lawyer in the state of Nevada.
It was also discovered that Katz did not provide any legal work for the money he obtained.
Detectives spoke with Katz’s alleged “law partner” and discovered that he was not his law partner and that he did not have a license to practice law.
An arrest warrant was obtained for Katz’s arrest and NCSO detectives located Katz in Henderson and placed him under arrest on the pair of preliminary charges.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Detective Alex Cox at 775-751-4236 or via email at ncso_detectives@co.nye.nv.us
Contact reporter Mick Akers at makers@pvtimes.com. Follow @mickakers on Twitter
