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Prison escape plan cited in fatal Vegas crash case

By WTOP Staff

KEN RITTER
Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — An investigator told a judge Wednesday that a self-described pimp already serving prison time for rape and robbery bribed a guard to get cellphones behind bars as part of a plot to escape before his death penalty trial in a fatal Las Vegas Strip shooting and fiery crash.

In testimony before a Las Vegas judge hearing evidence against a co-defendant in the bribery case, Nevada Department of Corrections Supervisory Investigator David Molnar mentioned but didn’t detail an escape plan involving Ammar Asim Faruq Harris.

Earlier, Harris stood in shackles Wednesday before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Deborah Lippis, where Harris and another inmate, Derrick McKnight, each said he intends to plead guilty to one felony charge of bribing a public officer in the contraband smuggling case.

Their plea deals will see other charges dropped, but could add five years to each man’s prison sentence.

Harris, 28, is serving 16 years to life for his conviction last year in a June 2010 sex attack and robbery of an 18-year-old woman.

McKnight, 35, is serving life without parole for the fatal December 2006 shooting of former professional basketball player-turned-real estate broker Kenneth Hardwick during a botched robbery in Henderson.

Molnar’s testimony came during a preliminary hearing for another co-defendant, Amy Colon, who was bound over by Lippis for trial in state court on bribery, conspiracy and furnishing a portable telecommunication device to a state prisoner charges. Colon’s arraignment is Oct. 15 in Clark County District Court. She remains free on $10,000 bond.

Molnar said McKnight told him two phones found in Harris’ solo cell in May were part of a bid to break out of High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs, outside Las Vegas.

“He told me they were for an escape,” Molnar testified, “for Ammar Harris to escape.”

Deputy Nevada Attorney General Karen Whelan didn’t ask Molnar to describe the plot, and Molnar declined additional comment outside court.

Harris’ lawyer, Robert Langford, denied his client was ever part of any escape plan.

The defense attorney said no escape charges were filed — just as no charges were filed after police and prosecutors claimed Harris plotted in 2013 to escape during his transfer in custody to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, where he was arrested a week after the Las Vegas Strip carnage.

“If these cellphones were for an escape, they would have charged him with attempt to escape,” Langford said of the new allegations.

David Stanton, the prosecutor in the Strip shooting and crash case, said Wednesday that police have telephone recordings of Harris planning a 2013 escape in California. But Stanton said jurisdiction was a question, and authorities decided not to file charges because Harris already faced three capital murder charges in Nevada.

Stanton noted that after the prison cellphones were discovered, Harris was transferred to a state maximum security prison in Ely. The prosecutor said that showed that state corrections officials consider Harris high-risk.

“Part of that is due to evidence that he planned a breakout from custody while he was being transported,” Stanton said.

Langford complained that the transfer from Indian Springs, about 45 miles from Las Vegas, to Ely, about 250 miles away, makes it difficult for him and co-counsel Thomas Ericsson to meet with Harris.

“It’s a 12-hour round trip to see him for an hour and a half,” Langford said.

Harris is accused of shooting early Feb. 21, 2013, into a moving Maserati sports car on Las Vegas Boulevard, fatally wounding the driver as the car sped through an intersection and slammed into a taxi that burst into flames, killing the cab driver and a tourist from Washington state. Five other people were injured.

Clark County District Court Judge Kathleen Delaney on Wednesday set that trial in that case for July 6.

The former state corrections officer, Derland Blake, 30, of North Las Vegas, pleaded guilty last week to felony bribery, and prosecutors dropped seven other charges against him.

Blake could face up to five years in prison at sentencing Jan. 28.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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