A former Las Vegas-area Democratic politician has been sentenced to a minimum of 28 years in prison for the murder of investigative journalist Jeff German. The judge added eight years to the initial 20 years to life sentence set by the jury. Robert Telles, the convicted politician, was found guilty of killing German outside his home during Labor Day weekend in 2022.
German, a respected journalist who covered crime, courts, and corruption in Las Vegas for 44 years, was 69 years old at the time of his death. Telles, who was 47 years old, served as the elected administrator of a Clark County office handling unclaimed estate and probate property cases.
During the sentencing, German's brother expressed the family's grief and concerns about their safety if Telles were to be released after just 20 years. Telles, in his statement, denied any responsibility for German's death, offering condolences to the family and acknowledging German's impact in the community.
The murder trial revealed that Telles lost his bid for re-election following German's critical stories about turmoil at the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office. German's reporting exposed a hostile work environment allegedly fueled by Telles' inappropriate relationship with a staffer.
Prosecutors argued that Telles targeted German to silence his ongoing investigations into the politician's misconduct. Despite Telles' claims of being framed and victimized for fighting corruption, evidence including his DNA under German's fingernails linked him to the crime scene.
Telles' attorney stated that his client plans to appeal the conviction. The case has drawn attention to the tragic loss of a dedicated journalist and the consequences of political corruption in the Las Vegas community.
