Henry Nicholas mug shot, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dep’t.
As many North Carolinians will recall from last year’s debate on the six proposed constitutional amendments sent to the state ballot by the Republican-led General Assembly, one of the amendments — a proposal to make several changes to state criminal procedures in the name of “victims’ rights” known as “Marsy’s Law” — was the original handiwork of a California billionaire and Wells Fargo heir named Henry Nicholas. As we reported in this space last September, Nicholas has had some problems of his own with the law since becoming a crusader for victims’ rights.
Reporter Dana Gentry at out sibling publication, the Nevada Current, has the latest on Nicholas in a story published yesterday:
Marsy’s Law founder to seek dismissal of drug trafficking charges
By Dana Gentry
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 2 to determine whether billionaire Henry Nicholas and his companion, Ashley Fargo, an heir to the Wells Fargo fortune, should face trial on drug trafficking charges.
But attorney David Chesnoff says he’ll be asking Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron to dismiss the charges.
“We are filing a motion to dismiss the entire matter because the evidence does not support the charges. Dr. Nicholas looks forward to vindication in court and continuing his important philanthropic work and fighting for victims’ rights,” Chesnoff wrote in a statement following an arraignment Monday morning. Nicholas and Fargo remain out of custody.
The two were arrested in Las Vegas in August 2018. Police say Nicholas and Fargo were in possession of large amounts of narcotics, including methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, pills believed to be ecstasy and hallucinogenic mushrooms. They did not attend the arraignment.
Nicholas, who funds efforts throughout the U.S. to pass Marsy’s Law, a victim rights initiative, has avoided convictions in the past involving allegations of drug and prostitution charges.
In a 2007 story in the Los Angeles Times, Nicholas told the paper “the allegations of drug use against him were especially absurd because he had been recognized by authorities for his efforts to boost law enforcement.”
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