Public Pretenders

By Brett Combs

Nobody knows better than a lawyer when it comes to committing the perfect crime. With police on the payroll and known criminals as the scores, nothing could go wrong. At least not until two victims put it all together, finding that two attorneys were the ones behind the crimes they have been convicted of and incarcerated for. But after a stint behind bars, everyone involved will pay, as John Castle and Nathan Ultman seek justice in what they call “Public Pretenders.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329749931

Book preview

Public Pretenders

Public Pretenders

By

Brett Combs

This is a work of fiction, names, characters, places, events and incidences are a product of the author’s imagination or are used facetiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental

Copyright © 2014 by Brett Combs

First Printing:2015

ISBN:  978-1-329-74993-1

Published in the United States of America by

www.lulu.com

Brett Combs

P.O. Box 10786

Reno, Nevada 89510

All rights reserved

Published in the United States of America by

(http://lulu.com)

Dedicated to those that seek revenge in the most ruthless ways.

Prologue

Everyone will be ready in the morning.  Just make sure you take care of everything on your end.

Already made the call.  I don’t need to be reminded.  Remember to keep first contact off the radio.  I’ve got it under control.  Okay.  Bye.

Table of Contents

Part One

Chapter 1 Arraignment

Chapter 2 Back At The County Jail

Chapter 3 Channel 13 News

Chapter 4 P&P Visit

Chapter 5 Trip To The Big House

Chapter 6 Parole Hearing And Legal Mail

Chapter 7 Attorney Visit

Chapter 8 The Set Up

Chapter 9 Just Can’t Put It Together

Chapter 10 Hit And Run

Chapter 11 Supplemental Discovery

Chapter 12 The Sales Pitch

Chapter 13 Thinking About The Time

Chapter 14 Case Status Check

Chapter 15 New Celly

Chapter 16 Just Talk

Chapter 17 Sentencing

Part Two

Chapter 18 Drinks Are On The House

Chapter 19 Dead Witnesses

Chapter 20 Similarities In The Cases

Chapter 21 Stirring Anger

Chapter 22 Killing Helms

Chapter 23 The Next Score

Chapter 24 Justifying Actions

Chapter 25 Checking On Murphy

Chapter 26 Rotating Surveillance

Chapter 27 Making a Patsy

Chapter 28 Taking Out Security

Chapter 29 What Needs To Be Done

Chapter 30 Played Right Into His Con

Chapter 31 Robbery

Chapter 32 Everything That Happened

Chapter 33 Agitation Taking Its Toll

Chapter 34 First Contact

Chapter 35 Out Of The Hole

Chapter 36 If You Could Escape

Chapter 37 Something’s Fishy

Chapter 38 It Was Like Poetry

Part Three

Chapter 39 Truth Behind The Justice System

Chapter 40 Wide-Eyed And Gagged

Chapter 41 No Need To Make Friends

Chapter 42 From Bad To Worse

Chapter 43 Jack Reicher

Chapter 44 Just Like He Heard It

Chapter 45 Bail Hearing

Chapter 46 Taking Sandavol For A Test Drive

Chapter 47 Ultman Is Out

Chapter 48 Murphy’s House

Chapter 49 Ve gas Bar and Grill

Chapter 50 Emergency Room

Chapter 51 Mayer’s Office

Chapter 52 Burning Down The House

Chapter 53 A Look Towards Seven Hills

Chapter 54 Gamer Buddies

Chapter 55 Murphy’s Death

Chapter 56 Some News

Chapter 57 Crime Scene Investigators

Chapter 58 Accusations Run Wild

Chapter 59 Body Snatched

Part Four

Chapter 60 Reynolds Was Convinced

Chapter 61 Mouse Trap

Chapter 62 Man’s Best Friend

Chapter 63 Best Interest

Chapter 64 Sex After Prison

Chapter 65 Warrant For Arrest

Chapter 66 Late Night Shopping

Chapter 67 Funeral

Chapter 68 Dead People Don’t Talk

Chapter 69 Wood Chipper

Chapter 70 Puddles of Blood

Chapter 71 Tug A War

Chapter 72 Lack of Integrity

Chapter 73 Police Interrogation Room

Chapter 74 Welcome To Intake

Chapter 75 FBI Started Pressing

Chapter 76 Greg Mayer’s Arraignment

Chapter 77 Back At Las Vegas County Jail

Part Five

Chapter 78 The Contract

Chapter 79 The Scoop

Chapter 80 Smokin’ The Rabbit Out Of The Hole

Chapter 81 Sales Pitch

Chapter 82 Modern Day Houdini

Chapter 83 The Hunt For Moran

Chapter 84 Hitched

Chapter 85 Getting Acquainted

Chapter 86 Taking The Deal

Chapter 87 Thoughts Are Weightless

Epilogue

Authors Note

Part One

Chapter 1

It was the morning of my arraignment, 8:30 a.m. on the money.  The defendants’ box was full.  The bailiff was giving his court instructions.  Don’t talk to the people in the crowd, don’t signal, sign, don’t nothing.  This is your first and final warning.  I will remove your friends and family from the courtroom if you choose to defy me.

All rise, the judge has now entered the courtroom.  8:30 justice court is now in session.  There must be thirty people in the defendants’ box.  It takes ten minutes average time every time the judge calls somebody’s name.  The judge reads every single charge separately.   With each, she says, Do you understand what I’m saying to you?  The more she talks the more nervous I get.  Little hairs on my arm stand up.  I don’t know any of the people around me, but we’re all in this together.  Everybody says it’s like a lottery draw getting appointed an attorney out of the public defender’s office, a hit and miss situation.

Everybody has the right to counsel.  Getting an attorney that wants to fight for you is another story.  Hell, trying to get a public defender to do their job is a job all on its own.  Nine out of ten times you ask another inmate about his public defender, he’s going to tell you they’re a dump truck.  These people didn’t become attorneys because they want to help people.  They became attorneys because they like money, easy money at that, and common sense tells them you don’t have any that’s why you’re being appointed an attorney out of the public defender’s office.

Despite the few that make a career out of being a public defender, the rest are using you for practice, learning the ropes at the cost of your life.  You’re simply a patsy for their trial and error.  They’re not ready to go out on their own, and they’re not ready to make decisions on their own.  They follow the plan of the prosecutor they’re going to have lunch with the minute the court’s adjourned.  Simple game plan —Get them to take the deal— the less work they have to do the better.

God, I hope I hit the lottery today.  As I sit in this courtroom, I can’t help myself from being nervous.  I find that I’m clinking my belly chain together.  Finally a man walks over to the defendants’ box.  He leans in to speak.  John Castle, he calls out.  Is there a John Castle?

I waved my hand in his direction.  Right here, I answered.

He comes and squats next to me whispering.  "My name is Michael Sandavol.  I have been appointed out of the public defender’s office to represent you.  As you probably know, today is just your arraignment.  The judge is going to read off the list of charges against you.  Why you’re here, so on and so forth, which I’m guessing you already know why you’re here, as you have been through the booking process at Las Vegas County Jail.

Anyway, look John, I had the opportunity to speak with the District Attorney about these charges, and they are offering a deal.  The deal’s not that bad considering the charges you’re facing.  The deal’s eight to twenty years John, with parole eligibility after eight, and you would completely expire the sentence at ten years flat with no disciplinary problems on your part.

Stop!  Michael, slow down, Castle says.  Have you read the police reports?  Have you read anything in regards to this case?  Do you even have a copy of the discovery?

No but…. Michael said. No, but what Michael?  I’ve spoken to you for less than five minutes, and you’re coming at me with a deal offered by the District Attorney.  You’re telling me the deal’s not bad, but you haven’t even viewed the case.  Do you say things like this all the time?  Think about what you’re saying, Michael.  Eight to twenty years sounds good, but you haven’t read anything in regards to my case.  What kind of representation is this?  Now Castle is completely frustrated and pissed off at Sandavol.  At the same time, Castle is worried that he’s going to get completely fucked over by this inept attorney.

Let me break this down for you.  Michael.  If you want to be the prosecutor’s puppet find some other sucker.  I’m not looking for a train wreck and we’re not to the point of talking about any deals.  Castle is thinking maybe he should be representing himself at this point. 

Your opinion is irrelevant at this point, as you stated that you haven’t viewed anything.  So forget about the deal.  I’m not taking any deals, so you can tell the District Attorney to fuck off.  Not guilty, that’s what we’re telling the courts.

In the meantime, you need to sit down and review this case.  Go over the evidence, verify and examine any and everything the District Attorney has given you.  Because I’m telling you, Michael, they are pissing in the wind.  I haven’t done shit.

Docket number twenty two, John Castle, announces the Bailiff.

Your honor, Michael Sandavol out of the Public Defender’s Office; present on behalf of the defendant, John Castle.  Bar number 38452.  Your honor, I’m going to ask this court for a sixty day continuance so that I can go out and speak to my client, view the discovery, and determine where we’re going to go from here.

Excuse me, what are you doing? asked Castle.

Castle, let me handle this. said Sandavol.

No.  Your honor may I address the court?

Speak up Mr. Castle.

Your honor, I don’t want a continuance.  I have not spoken to Mr. Sandavol more than five minutes, and I’m letting this court know right here on the record, along with Mr. Sandavol that I would like to invoke my right to a speedy trial.

Mr. Castle, have you had the opportunity or -- let me rephrase that, had you expressed that to your attorney?

No, your honor, but I’m letting all parties know right now.

Court’s indulgence your honor.

Mr. Sandavol make it quick.

Castle what are you doing?

What’s it look like I’m doing?  I’m invoking my right to a speedy trial.  Your honor.

Yes, Mr. Castle.

Just so there’s no confusion.  I do not want any continuance.  I’m not taking any deals, and I’m not asking Mr. Sandavol for his opinion on this matter.  I want to invoke my right to a speedy trial your honor.

Mr. Sandavol my patience is running thin.  We’re going to go forward with the arraignment.  As you can see, I have a full docket this morning.  This man has rights -- Constitutional rights at that, that won’t be denied in this courtroom.

Mr. Castle, I’m going to grant your right to a speedy trial, but first you need to be notified of your charges.  Count one, possession of stolen property.  How do you plead?

Not guilty your honor.

Count two, interstate commerce.  How do you plead?

Not guilty, your honor.

I’m sending this matter over for case status check thirty days from today and calendar call January 8, 2013.

Docket number twenty three, David Roberts, announces the Bailiff.

As he’s gathering his papers and packing up his brief case, Sandavol says Castle, we’re going to need time.

Time for what Mr. Sandavol?  Are you trying to give the District Attorney time to build a case against me?  I’m not that guy that’s going to help the District Attorney prosecute me.  I’m not going to sit back and lose time out of my life simply because you don’t want to do your job.

Castle…. Sandavol trying to get his client’s attention as he’s walking back the Defendants’ box.

Castle nothing.  Michael I’ve made my choice.  I think we’re done talking here.  Do you have an address and phone number where I can get a hold of you?

Yeah, here’s my card, Castle Sandavol gives Castle his business card after Castle sits down in the Defendants’ box with the remaining defendants.

Alright, now you know where I’m at -- as you said yourself, Las Vegas County Jail.  I believe my visiting days are Sundays and Mondays.  So, I would suggest that you view the case file and police reports you have in your possession right now, then file a motion for discovery right away, and get out to see me because time’s ticking.  We’re on a time line here.

"All rise.  Court’s now adjourned, the Bailiff said as he started to escort the inmates out of the courtroom.

As Castle is being escorted out of the Defendants’ box, Don’t forget Mr. Sandavol, Sunday and Monday, case file, and discovery.  I’ll send you a letter to remind you.

Castle keep moving.  Fall in line behind those inmates there, out the doors to the left into the holding tanks.  I don’t have all day here.  Mr. Sandavol you know the routine.

Chapter 2

Back at the Las Vegas County Jail, Unit 7, F pod, it’s a 24-hour lockdown with the exception of showers and a 30 minute tier time to use the phone, grab a book, and get acquainted with those around you.  Despite that, there’s not much going on.

Why is everyone so happy to be back in this rat’s nest. Castle is thinking to himself as he’s being escorted down the hallway, as the Correctional Officers are dropping inmates off, unit after unit.  Out of nowhere, this guy starts talking to me.

Who did you get? the guy says to Castle.

What do you mean?

Who did they give you as an attorney?

Michael Sandavol.

Ouch, that’s all bad.  I’m sorry about your luck.

Is it that bad? Castle asked the guy.

Not if you like prison.  Michael Sandavol, he’s a dump truck for an attorney.  He doesn’t work for his clients.  I hear he’s one of those attorneys that seem to do everything in the interest of the District Attorney.  Have you spoke to him already?

Just a brief introduction.

Let me guess.  When you spoke to Sandavol he had already spoken to the District Attorney and he offered you their deal.  It sounded good, considering the charges that you have right now.  Sound familiar?  Well, all I can tell you is be careful, Castle.  Sandavol is as dirty as they come.  My partner was represented by Sandavol a few years back, and he had a lot to say after being sentenced to prison for five years for a gun in a car.

Ex-felon in possession of a firearm? asked Castle.

Yes, that’s what he was charged with.

Isn’t that how much time that carries?

I’m not sure, Castle, but what I’m sure of is the gun had no fingerprints linking it to my friend and it was found in a car that didn’t belong to my friend.

Was your friend driving the car? asked Castle.

That’s just it, Castle, my friend was in another state.  He was vacationing with his family at Disneyland in California.  Sandavol didn’t even mention that to the jury, and without any objections to him being present when they found the gun the jury found him guilty simple because he had tattoos and they believed him to be a bad person.  The District Attorney went on and on about him being a gang member when he wasn’t on trial for that.  It’s their way of characterizing a person to emphasize to a jury that a man such as my friend is exactly the kind of man that would be in possession of a gun.  Sandavol didn’t offer the dude any kind of defense, so be careful Castle.

All E pod units line up.  This is your stop, the guard said.  Now Anthony Torres.

So your name’s Anthony?

Yea, but I go by Maniac.

How did you know my name was Castle?

John Castle look out your cell door window.

Out the window?

Out the window at the Unit TV.  Everybody knows who you are.  You robbed a United States senator.

Keep it movin’ gentlemen, the guard said.  F pod next stop.

Chapter 3

While back at my housing unit, I tried to make sense of what Maniac had said to me.  You robbed a United States senator.  What the hell was he talking about?

I sure as hell didn’t rob any United States senator.  I’ve been charged with possession of stolen property and interstate commerce.  I realized it was nearly five o’clock, so I decided that I would look out the window to see if I could catch the news on Channel 13.

Looks like a couple accidents happened along Interstate 80 and then breaking news.  United States Senator, Richard Snyder’s jewelry was recovered in Las Vegas, Nevada after LVPD stopped an armored car robbery from happening.

Channel 13 news is reporting that LVPD received information from an anonymous source that said John Castle was supposed to take part in the robbery of an armored car.  Upon further investigation, they found that I was not in compliance with the law and notified Las Vegas Department of Public Safety asking where John Castle resided, and based upon the information about an alleged armored car robbery, the Department of Public Safety decided they were going to make a home contact of a parolee since John Castle was on parole for his 2007 conviction for burglary.

Las Vegas Police Department had set up surveillance around the residence of 7218 Carote Drive, and had not seen anything suspicious or out of order during their surveillance on John Castle, according to Channel 13 news reporter, Janice Harper.  But when the Department of Public Safety approached the residence, they did a knock and announce.  After nobody answered, they decided to walk around the residence to attempt contact when they heard multiple voices inside the residence.

The Department of Public Safety looked into a window on the side of the house, and they supposedly saw John Castle trying to hide.  With the information, the anonymous robbery tip, they entered guns drawn and had to shoot two individuals that were armed and resisting putting down their weapons.  Those two individuals were Vincent Mandavi and Michael Skaggs.  John Castle was taken into custody along with Jimmy Terrel.  Once all parties involved were secured at the crime scene, LVPD called a judge to obtain a search warrant.

During the search of the residence, they found jewelry which was later identified as belonging to United States Senator, Richard Snyder.  The property was believed to be taken at gunpoint in a violent jewelry heist out of the prestigious Swan Gallery.

News reporter, Janice Harper, further stated that John Castle was a notorious criminal that used Las Vegas for his base for various criminal activities in multiple jurisdictions.

Well, that’s nothing new.  Reporters like Janice Harper are so inclined to get a story in the headlines, they will say anything over the air just so they can get noticed.  She’s just a media whore controlled by the authorities.  Police always give reporters false information to portray a reason to justify their illegal actions or to paint the picture to the public that somebody was public enemy number one.

Too bad you can’t sell a reporter common sense because if you could, the public would hear the truth about the officers in their community that are not in any way protecting and serving anything, but their own interest.

I don’t know what this ignorant bitch Janice Harper is talking about.  She keeps stating 7218 Carote Drive is my address when my home address is 1010 Skyfall Drive.  I don’t know who is feeding her this line of bullshit, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.  Janice Harper stated how I was arrested at 7218 Carote Drive.  That’s Jimmy Terrel’s residence.

I don’t even know why I was arrested.  I didn’t know why I was being charged with possession of stolen property and interstate commerce.  I was in custody the entire time this event was going on.

All I know is I was two blocks away from my childhood friend’s house, Jimmy Terrel when I was pulled over in what I thought was a routine traffic stop, when I was pulled out of my vehicle at gunpoint under the threat of murder.  Two police officers yelling outside of my vehicle, Get out of the fucking vehicle and get in the car over their or I’ll blow your fucking brains out.  Two detectives in plainclothes placed me in the backseat of a Chrysler 300 in handcuffs and I was taken straight to Las Vegas County Jail.

This wasn’t anything that I had not been subject to before.  On multiple occasions I had been taken into custody for questioning.  There’s always some punk rookie detective that thinks they can solve every case.  Every criminal knows the type.  Super cops that have to try and prove their worth to their colleagues, and they will do anything to make a name off of you to establish a career.

Nothing was out of the ordinary to me until I was being processed through booking and handed a temporary custody record with some jacked up charges.  I kept asking, What the hell are you charging me with?  You know this is bullshit.  I wasn’t found in possession of any property.  I don’t even know what property you’re talking about, and I haven’t transported anything across any state lines, so there’s no way I could have commenced any interstate commerce crime

At the detention center, I asked to speak to an attorney.  All the guards at the detention center told me, That’s what they all say.  Sit down, shut up, don’t make this any harder than it has to be.

Chapter 4

I was thinking about how ignorant Janice Harper, the Channel 13 news reporter, was when my cell door popped open.

Seven F twenty two, John Castle, someone said over the intercom.  Get dressed, tuck in your shirt, brush your teeth, you have a visit.

I guessed my attorney read the police reports and possibly the temporary custody record and decided he would come out and see me.  I thought my visiting days were Sundays and Mondays though.  I guess I was wrong.  I was placed in handcuffs at the entry of my cell and taken out of my unit, towards the attorney visiting rooms.  The visiting rooms were at the end of the hallway.  I didn’t make it to the end of the hallway when we turned right down a hallway into what looked like a waiting room for police officers, where I was handed over to two LVPD police officers who’s job it was to escort me down to a police interrogation room that was no bigger than my cell.

I didn’t want to think about what sort of things happened in this room.  Just the sight of it was disturbing.  Fluorescent ceiling panels, white walls, and a white ceramic floor.  Not to mention the two-way mirrored section on the wall, and the special chair bolted to the floor with fastened metal hoops in place for leg shackles.

I didn’t have to guess where I would be sitting.  As I was pushed into the room, the officers told me it would be a minute and to have a seat.  Once seated they fastened my leg shackles to the chair.  I decided that it was in my best interest to comply, as I know all too well LVPD will look for any excuse to lay their hands on somebody or to break in their billy clubs.  LVPD has justified more murders than any other police department in the nation.  They are part of the good ole’ boy system.  You could be unconscious and still be beaten by LVPD police officers.  They simply surround you and yell, Quit resisting.  Those words alone seem to justify caving your head in.

In the interrogation room I was getting agitated.  About five minutes had passed which seemed like an hour because I was in anticipation from someone.  I wanted to start pounding on the two-way mirror, but I couldn’t reach it.  That’s when the door popped open and two LVPD officers stepped in, announcing themselves as Officer Murphy and Sergeant Helms from the Nevada Department of Public Safety.

I tried my best to stay rational while asking what the hell was going on.  They advised me that I had violated the terms of my parole and probation because of the contact with police and the pending charges of possession of stolen property and interstate commerce.  Sergeant Hick’s stated that the State of Nevada’s Attorney General’s Office had issued a retake warrant for my arrest and at this moment, I had two choices.

The first was I could accept responsibility for violating the conditions of my parole by signing the violation report, which then I would be taken back in front of the parole committee within two weeks.  Option number two: I could refuse, which would ultimately delay the inevitable as I was already guilty of a parole violation due to police contact.

I told Murphy and Helms I didn’t do anything and was told to sell that shit to somebody else.

Are you going to sign the report or not? asked Sergeant Helms.

Without even thinking twice, I signed the violation report thinking it was alright.  This can be straightened out in front of the Parole Board.  I haven’t broken any laws.  Then I asked where my parole officer was.

Where’s Officer Gilbert?  Why isn’t he the one handling all of this?

Look Castle, let’s get something straight.  I am your parole officer.

Murphy, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.  We’ve never met, spoken, or seen each other.  Were you just recently assigned to my case, or was I just recently assigned to you?

Either way it’s the same thing, prick.  As of September 2012, I have been your parole officer Mr. Castle.

Well that’s news to me Murphy.

Maybe if you stayed on top of your parole you would know that, said Murphy.

"Can you tell me why all these people are saying Jimmy Terrel’s house is mine,