Former Las Vegas-area Democratic official Robert Telles has been sentenced to at least 28 years in Nevada state prison for the murder of investigative journalist Jeff German, who had reported critically on Telles' conduct in office.
Telles, 47, was found guilty in August of the premeditated killing of German in September 2022. German, 69, was a veteran journalist known for his investigations into crime and corruption.
The Nevada Supreme Court Judge Michelle Leavitt invoked sentencing enhancements due to German’s age and Telles' use of a deadly weapon, extending the minimum 20-year sentence by eight years. Telles, who denied committing the crime, was convicted based on strong evidence, including his DNA found under German's fingernails.
German’s death followed his reports on turmoil within the Clark County Public Administrator’s office, where Telles was employed, as well as an exposure of Telles’ extramarital affair with a coworker.
Telles claimed during the trial that he was framed, but prosecutors dismissed his statements as baseless. His sentence, the maximum allowed, serves as a significant example of justice for violence against journalists, with German being the only reporter killed in the U.S. in 2022.
The Committee to Protect Journalists noted that while Telles’ conviction cannot reverse the tragedy, it stands as a warning to those who threaten or harm journalists.
Source:
AP news
