‘Gorilla pimp’ lawyer accused of sex trafficking put on probation in Las Vegas
A judge on Tuesday ordered probation and mental health treatment for an attorney who described himself as a “gorilla pimp” and was accused of sex trafficking.
Gary Guymon, 63, once a high-profile prosecutor, was arrested in February. He faced allegations he ran a prostitution ring called the “$100 club” and plotted with felons to have a client killed. In a message, he described himself as the “gorilla pimp,” meaning a violent pimp, of one of the women investigators interviewed, according to police.
“I have to say that I was deeply disappointed by the actions of Mr. Guymon in this case,” said District Judge Christy Craig, adding that Guymon betrayed the trust of those in his life and “cast a shadow on the profession and the community and frankly, the entire legal system.”
Guymon entered a plea deal in May, consenting to disbarment and pleading no contest to counts of coercion and bribing or intimidating a witness to influence testimony. Prosecutors agreed not to make a recommendation at his sentencing.
He previously faced counts of solicitation to commit murder, conspiracy to commit murder, sex trafficking of an adult, pandering, perjury, coercion with threat of force, and bribing or intimidating a witness.
“Through the course of the investigation, detectives believe Guymon was using his position as a criminal defense attorney to victimize individuals of sex trafficking and prostitution,” the Metropolitan Police Department said previously.
Investigators started looking into Guymon in November, interviewed the attorney and began monitoring his phone in January.
In a police interview, Guymon denied introducing his clients to his associates for sex acts, Metro said.
“He stated multiple times he was just trying to help the females out and would occasionally receive lap dances from them,” according to a report.
‘Vast and significant suffering’
Guymon offered only a brief apology, saying he was sorry for the people he “adversely affected.”
Defense attorney Louis Palazzo said he had advised Guymon not to make statements because one of the victims is planning a lawsuit.
Guymon served as that woman’s attorney, became “emotionally entangled” with her and helped her with money for rent and a car, according to his lawyer.
When she decided not to make payments, Guymon took the vehicle back and she reached out to police, Palazzo said.
Texts between the woman and Guymon were “extremely bombastic, offensive and emotionally charged,” Palazzo acknowledged. But, he said, Guymon was suffering from “severe mental health challenges.”
”He has lost his license to practice law, essentially his chosen ability to earn a living,” Palazzo told the court. “He must carry the mark of being a felon. His reputation and standing in the community has been adversely altered. He has suffered negative consequences with his family life and the relationship with his spouse.”
Palazzo asked Craig to acknowledge the “vast and significant suffering that Gary has experienced” and place him on probation.
Troubled past
Guymon has a troubled past.
He was caught on video in 2009 stealing a necklace from a gift shop mannequin at the Sundance Resort in Utah.
The Utah County attorney’s office charged him with one count of misdemeanor theft. He pleaded no contest to trespassing.
He left the Clark County district attorney’s office after his name surfaced in a public corruption case involving county commissioners and Cheetah’s strip club owner Michael Galardi.
During the public corruption trial of former County Commissioners Dario Herrera and Mary Kincaid-Chauncey, Galardi testified that he purchased lap dances for Guymon and set up sexual liaisons between Guymon and strippers. He alleged that in return, Guymon resolved speeding tickets, DUIs and assault charges for club employees.
Guymon previously said it was true he was a Cheetah’s regular and received lap dances, but he denied that Galardi bought the lap dances or that he had sex at the club. He also said that he occasionally represented Galardi’s employees in traffic cases while working as a prosecutor but did not help Galardi resolve other criminal cases like DUIs and assaults.
Starting in about 2004, Guymon worked as a public defender, then went into private practice.
During his criminal case, he claimed to be suffering from mental health and addiction issues, according to the Nevada Supreme Court, and attempted to have his law license transferred to disability status. The high court rejected that request and temporarily suspended him.
Letters of support
Local defense attorneys wrote letters to Craig, praising Guymon in advance of his sentencing.
“Unfortunately, it appears that in the past year, he started engaging in behavior that I had never witnessed in the previous 30 years that I had known and befriended him,” wrote Chip Siegel. “I have no explanation for why these things occurred. I am as shocked as everyone else by the factual allegations that led him to enter his guilty plea.”
Joel Mann described Guymon as “a man with a big heart who gives of himself to strangers, even when no one is looking.”
Lance Hendron, who previously worked with Guymon, said, “No matter the situation, Gary always put his clients first, making sure they had consistent, quality representation, even during the most difficult times.”
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said there were potential legal challenges to pieces of evidence in the case, but he declined to discuss specifics.
“I think it’s a sad day here in our legal community that a once-well-thought-of attorney that had extreme talents had to take such a big fall,” Wolfson said. “But based upon his behavior, I think that justice has been delivered.”
Contact nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.
