LAS VEGAS (CN) - Attorney Gary Guymon, initially facing accusations including sex trafficking and solicitation to commit murder, did an about-face Thursday and pleaded no contest to two felonies.
Guymon, 62, entered pleas to bribing or intimidating a witness to influence their testimony, and coercion, before Eighth Judicial District Judge Christy Craig. He faces one to five years' incarceration on the bribing count, and one to six years on the coercion charge, along with a total of $55,000 in fines.
Thursday morning, standing with his two defense attorneys, Guymon gave quick, short answers to the judge's questions.
"I'm not contesting those allegations," he said.
Guymon's attorney and the Clark County District Attorney's Office couldn't be reached for comment as of publication time.
As part of the plea, Craig read a short summary of the accusations against Guymon. Between Oct. 11 and Jan. 9, Guymon gave, offered or promised a woman $1,000 a month for rent if she stopped cooperating in an investigation against him, and agreed not to report him to the bar.
On the coercion count, Guymon used force or threatened force against a woman, compelling her to perform an act while he watched. If she refused, Guymon said he'd ensure she was jailed.
"Again, pleading no contest," Guymon said.
Arrested Feb. 3, Guymon initially faced charges including sex trafficking, pandering, perjury and conspiracy and solicitation to commit murder. Las Vegas police said that Guymon used his position as a criminal defense attorney to force people into sex trafficking and prostitution.
Police began investigating Guymon in November after hearing he was encouraging prostitution from women for himself and others.
According to police, a former client told authorities she met Guymon in mid-2024. They became romantically involved, though the relationship started to falter that autumn.
The woman said Guymon got her an apartment and a car, which police said he intended to use as a means to control her.
Police claimed Guymon also sent violent text messages to the woman. In them, he said he'd be a "gorilla pimp" - meaning he'd be physically violent toward her - and break her teeth if she resisted.
Another woman told police that Guymon represented her in a prostitution case. Authorities accused Guymon of coercing the woman to perform sex acts or face jail. Officers spoke with the woman and, afterward, Guymon said he'd give her $1,000 to lie to police.
Guymon opted against appearing in court for a March hearing, which his attorneys called usual procedure. At the time, Guymon maintained his innocence. His attorneys said the accusations stemmed from a financial motivation.
Then came Thursday's hearing, where prosecutors and Guymon's attorneys revealed the agreement to plead no contest to the two counts.
As part of the plea, Guymon agreed to permanent disbarment and remains free pending his July 31 sentencing. Prosecutors intend to drop all other charges against him as part of the plea.
Guymon is eligible for probation. Prosecutors have made no sentence recommendation to the judge. Nevada Parole and Probation will perform a pre-sentence investigation before sentencing.
Both guilty and no contest pleas result in a conviction. However, while a guilty plea is an admission of guilt, a no contest plea contains no specific admission of wrongdoing.
Source: Courthouse News Service
