Las Vegas politician accused of killing journalist could take stand at trial amid bribery investigation

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The former Clark County elected official accused of killing an investigative journalist could take the stand at his trial next month amid allegations he took bribes on the job, his attorney told the 8 News Now Investigators.

Las Vegas Metro police arrested Robert Telles, 47, in September 2022 for the stabbing death of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German. Prosecutors accuse Telles of targeting German because of articles he was writing about problems in the county’s public administrator’s office, which Telles ran.

German, 69, was found stabbed to death on Sept. 3, 2022, outside his home in the northwest valley near Tenaya Way and Vegas Drive. Detectives said they found Telles’ DNA under German’s fingernails, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported shortly after Telles’ arrest.

In a series of tweets before German’s death, Telles became publicly critical of German’s reports about the Clark County Public Administrator’s Office, which Telles oversaw. In one tweet, Telles wrote: “Wife hears rustling in the trash. Her: ‘Honey, is there a wild animal in the trash?’ Me: ‘No, dear. Looks like it’s @JGermanRJ going through our trash for his 4th story on me.’”

DNA evidence that connected Telles to the scene was found on a straw hat and shoes police confiscated as evidence from his home during a search, police said. The hat and shoes had been cut up to destroy the evidence.

Telles, a lawyer who was elected as a Democrat and then lost his primary after German’s reporting, represented himself in court until recently when he hired private attorney Robert Draskovich.

“How do you defend a defendant like Robert Telles?” 8 News Now Investigator David Charns asked Draskovich on Wednesday.

“The first thing I do is basically just become consumed with the facts,” Draskovich said.

After several attempts to remove Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt from the case, Telles’ trial was scheduled to begin March 18.

“It’s very possible that he takes the stand and testifies on his own behalf,” Draskovich said. “I mean it’s his Constitutional right to do so.”

In documents filed last week, Draskovich and prosecutors said Metro police were tracking Telles’ cellphone as part of an investigation into a bribery scheme. However, he had only seen surveillance logs and no evidence as of Wednesday.

“The search warrant affidavit detailed that [a detective] received a tip that [Telles] was engaged in a scheme where he received bribes in exchange for assignment of home sales conducted on behalf of the Clark County Public Administrator’s office,” Draskovich wrote in court documents. “After receiving the warrant, [the detective] began surveilling [Telles], which included maintaining surveillance logs and video of the [Telles].”

“Obviously if he’s being surveilled, we should know his whereabouts,” Draskovich said. Prosecutors said Telles’ phone was not “in the area of German’s house at the time of the homicide.” The logs ended after Telles’ arrest, Draskovich said.

Draskovich also said he had yet to see an audio recording from a detective investigating the alleged bribery made in an ambulance after Telles’ arrest. He also said police body camera video from that day was deleted.

“In this case great, if you claim you have conclusive evidence, but you don’t hand over evidence that should have been preserved, or that you were in the process of obtaining. What’s really going on here?” he said.

In the summer of 2022, German had filed a records request with Clark County for “all electronic communications” between Telles and a staff member, documents said. The county emailed Telles about the request the day before German’s murder, documents said. Draskovich alleges the communications will show Telles “did not have a motive to commit the crime” of murder.

During an interview with 8 News Now Investigator Vanessa Murphy in 2023, Telles said he was framed. During an interview with 8 News Now Investigator David Charns in September 2022, Telles refused to discuss German’s death.

Telles remained in custody Wednesday without bail. He was due in court on Feb. 21 for a hearing on the request for evidence.

Draskovich said while he was recently hired to represent Telles, he was ready to proceed with the upcoming trial.

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