LAS VEGAS (CN) - Former attorney Gary Guymon said little Tuesday as a Las Vegas judge sentenced him to probation for tampering with a witness and coercion.
The brief hearing before Eighth Judicial District Judge Christy Craig closed a public legal saga that ended Guymon's decades-long career as an attorney.
Guymon, 62, was originally charged with sex trafficking and solicitation to commit murder, but prosecutors dismissed those counts after he pleaded no contest in May to two felonies: bribing or intimidating a witness to influence their testimony, and coercion.
Both felonies carried multi-year prison terms, ranging from 18 months to four years for bribery and from two to five years for coercion. The judge suspended the sentences, instead placing Guymon on probation for two years.
"I'm sorry for those I've adversely affected," Guymon said when given a chance to speak.
At the May hearing, Craig summarized that between Oct. 11 and Jan. 9, Guymon promised a woman $1,000 a month for rent if she refused to cooperate with an investigation into him and agreed not to report him to the bar.
She added that Guymon also used force or threatened force against a woman to perform an act while he watched, warning that if she refused, he would see to it she was jailed.
Defense attorney Louis Palazzo, representing Guymon, characterized the case differently on Tuesday.
According to Palazzo, Guymon became "emotionally entangled" with a client and gave her money for rent and a car loan.
When the woman later refused to repay the loan, Guymon had the vehicle repossessed, which triggered the investigation.
Palazzo added that text messages between Guymon and the woman were bombastic and emotionally charged, further blurring the lines between their personal and professional relationship.
"As an attorney, he's held to a higher standard," Palazzo said, asking for a year's probation. "However, it should not define him.
"He's paid a very heavy price for his war of words with [the woman]," he added moments later.
The judge told Guymon that his actions deeply disappointed her, as his decisions and choices betrayed the trust people had in him.
"It's disheartening to see the path that you took," Craig added. "You're not a kid. You're a grown man who has been around the block."
The judge then sentenced Guymon to probation. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors made no sentencing recommendation. However, he will permanently lose his law license as part of the deal, though as of Tuesday, the State Bar of Nevada had Guymon listed as suspended.
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 accusations that he was encouraging prostitution from women for himself and others.
According to police, a former client reported to authorities that 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.
Source: Courthouse News Service
