A federal grand jury in Las Vegas has indicted former Nye County Commissioner Leonardo F. Blundo, accusing him of seeking fraudulent COVID-19 relief funds for his Pahrump restaurant. The move, flagged publicly by law enforcement on social media, marks the latest legal twist for the former county official and local business owner.
“Former Nye County Commissioner Leonardo F. Blundo was indicted by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas over alleged fraudulent COVID-19 relief applications for his Pahrump restaurant,” FBI Las Vegas said in a public post.
FBI Announcement And Quote
In its online statement, FBI Las Vegas said the grand jury returned an indictment alleging Blundo applied for fraudulent COVID-19 relief funds tied to his Pahrump restaurant. “Fraud will not be tolerated in our community, regardless of the position or identity of those involved,” the post quoted Special Agent Christopher S. Delzotto as saying.
Blundo’s Local Record And Prior Ethics Finding
Blundo owns Carmelo’s Bistro in Pahrump, according to local reporting. A state ethics review panel previously found “credible evidence” that he violated ethics rules, and the Nevada Commission on Ethics later fined him $4,500 after concluding he failed to disclose a conflict of interest when voting on CARES Act funding that benefited his restaurant, as reported by the Pahrump Valley Times.
What Comes Next In Court
The FBI’s post did not list specific criminal counts. Those details are expected to appear in federal court filings and any forthcoming press release from prosecutors, which will also outline key court dates. As the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada routinely notes in its public materials, “An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” a standard disclaimer that appears in similar cases from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Why This Matters In Pahrump
Blundo has been a divisive figure in Nye County politics and has previously pursued higher office, factors that are likely to amplify local interest in the case, according to reporting by The Nevada Independent. Residents, political watchers, and small-business owners in Pahrump will be tracking the federal docket and any public statements from prosecutors or Blundo’s camp as the case moves through court.
