Alleged Las Vegas kidnapping victim asks judge not to reduce suspect’s bail

Expressing concern for the safety of his family, the construction company owner authorities say was the victim of an elaborate kidnapping plot asked a judge on Monday not to reduce bail for the man prosecutors say masterminded the crime.

William Costa, 42, was arrested in February. Police said he and other men abducted Larry Gilmore, the owner of Gilmore Construction. His bail was previously set at $1.5 million.

A Metropolitan Police Department arrest report said Costa’s partner, Cynthia Marabella, had stolen $20 million from the company, where she worked as financial controller. The kidnapping was designed to persuade Gilmore to tell the IRS the money was a gift or investment to make the case go away, the report said. Court records do not show any recent charges for Marabella.

“A desperate man is a dangerous one,” Gilmore told District Judge Jasmin Lilly-Spells. “And through his actions, Mr. Costa has proven he is both to the highest level.”

Victim under investigation?

Costa’s attorney, Ozzie Fumo, suggested in court that Gilmore himself may be under investigation.

“I think it’s the complaining witness in this case that’s also being investigated by (federal authorities),” Fumo said. “That’s part of the reason why I think this whole thing came out.”

Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Dickerson said Fumo was wrong.

“The insinuation was made that Mr. Gilmore and his company are somehow targets of the IRS and federal investigation that’s occurring,” he said. “I’ve spoken directly with the assistant U.S. attorney that’s running that investigation and been assured that they are not a target. They’ve never been a target.”

Gilmore said after court that the targets of the investigation are Costa and Marabella. He declined to comment when asked how he failed to notice such a large theft.

Bail arguments and testimony

Lilly-Spells did not issue a ruling on whether she would lower Costa’s bail but said she would announce her decision Wednesday.

Defense attorney Jess Marchese asked for Costa’s bail to lowered to $50,000. Costa has no criminal history and is an honorably discharged veteran, he argued.

Dickerson, who requested bail remain at $1.5 million, said Costa “had an other than honorable discharge” and is “incredibly dangerous.”

“This is an effort that was made by Mr. Costa to commit violence on Mr. Gilmore for the sole fact of obstructing justice, and it just got bigger, and the risk just got greater,” he said.

The suspects began watching Gilmore on Feb. 8, Dickerson said. Dickerson also alleged Costa had companies that were used to receive stolen funds.

Reading from a statement, Gilmore said he was notified by the IRS in January that the agency was investigating suspected tax evasion and money laundering by Marabella and Costa, “her significant other and partner in crime.” The IRS said it found “significant amounts of theft from my construction company,” he said.

By Feb. 20, the theft had been stopped and Costa’s “lifestyle had changed drastically without having access to my funds,” according to Gilmore.

“On that day, I was bound with zip ties, blindfolded and taken out to the desert where they physically and mentally assaulted (me), intimidating me with deadly weapons and ultimately Mr. Costa threatened my life,” he told the judge.

Costa said if Gilmore did not help him or told authorities about the kidnapping, he would “kill my entire family in front of me,” Gilmore alleged.

Gilmore said giving Costa bail would provide him with opportunities to harm him and his family. Costa does not have “anything left to lose” and had claimed he has ties to gangs and cartels who could help target Gilmore, said Gilmore.

Other suspects

Three other men — Jonathan Martinez, 40, Steven Best, 35, and Brandon Schrock, 48, — also face charges in connection with the alleged kidnapping and records suggest one of them may be working with prosecutors.

A docket sheet for Martinez’s case shows that his trial, previously scheduled for April, has been vacated, and that an amended indictment was filed Friday, along with a document under seal.

The amended indictment charges him with second-degree kidnapping and robbery, charges reduced from the counts of first degree kidnapping with a deadly weapon, battery with a deadly weapon, extortion with a deadly weapon and robbery with a deadly weapon that he previously faced.

Prosecutors typically file an amended indictment with less serious charges after a defendant has made a plea deal.

“All signs point to him cooperating with the state,” said Marchese.

Dickerson declined to comment. Martinez’s lawyer, Alzora Jackson, did not respond to a request for comment.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.