A former Democratic official in the Las Vegas area was sentenced Wednesday to serve at least 28 years in Nevada state prison for murdering an investigative journalist in 2022.
Robert Telles, who previously served as a public administrator in Clark County, killed Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German after he published damning allegations about the official creating a hostile work environment while in office and having an inappropriate relationship with a female coworker despite being married. The stories ultimately cost the official’s primary reelection bid two years ago, prompting him to commit murder.
During his trial, Telles, 47, denied that he stabbed German, 69, to death in September 2022 after waiting outside the reporter’s home. Telles maintained his innocence, claiming he went to a gym at the time of the attack.
“I am not the kind of person who would stab someone. I didn’t kill Mr. German,” he said. “And that’s my testimony.”
Despite denying the crime, evidence linked Telles to the murder: His DNA was found beneath German’s fingernails. Furthermore, a security camera in the neighborhood showed the suspect driving a maroon SUV while wearing a straw hat and an oversized orange long-sleeve shirt to hide his identity. Authorities found all items, except the orange shirt and the murder weapon, in Telles’s possession.
In August, the jury declared Telles guilty of murder after a two-week trial and 12 hours of deliberation over three days.
On Wednesday, the judge added eight years to the defendant’s minimum 20-year sentence for the murder conviction with parole eligibility after 20 years served. Telles has remained in jail without bail since his arrest days after German’s murder; those two years count toward his total 28-year sentence.
Prosecutors argued Telles wanted to murder German for destroying his career, reputation, and marriage. They also asserted that because Telles poses a danger to the Las Vegas community, he should be imprisoned for the rest of his life.
“This defendant has shown absolutely no remorse, no acceptance of responsibility,” Clark County district attorney Steve Wolfson said. “And in fact, his behavior is such that I believe he is an extreme danger to the community if he is ever released.”
German’s brother, Jay, agreed with that conclusion in a victim-impact statement, saying his family has “a lot of anxiety” about their safety if Telles were to be released after serving a minimum sentence of 20 years.
Meanwhile, the defense argued Telles was “framed” for trying to investigate corruption in Las Vegas and caught in the middle of a conspiracy involving a real-estate company, police, DNA analysts, former employees, and others.
Telles intends to appeal the conviction after the sentencing, his lawyer said. The attorney filed a motion on Tuesday to withdraw himself from counseling Telles, and the judge granted the motion on Wednesday. Telles will be represented by the Clark County Public Defender’s Office.