Former politician sentenced to life in prison for murder of Las Vegas journalist

LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) - A former politician convicted of murdering a Las Vegas journalist was sentenced Wednesday.

Robert Telles has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Las Vegas journalist Jeff German.

A jury found the former Clark County official Robert Telles guilty in August of the murder of longtime Las Vegas Review-Journal journalist Jeff German.

Telles was found guilty of stabbing the investigative reporter to death outside of his home in September 2022.

Following Telles' conviction, the jury recommended that he serve life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years.

He was formally sentenced on Wednesday.

Judge Michelle Leavitt also added a sentence of 8-20 years to Telles‘ life sentence for the use of a deadly weapon. He will now be eligible for parole after 28 years and was credited for 2 years already served.

Telles will also be required to pay $23,347.71 in restitution to German’s family.

Members of the Public Administrator’s office, German’s family, and District Attorney Steve Wolfson were all present in the courtroom.

Robert Draskovich, Telles' attorney, withdrew from the case following the sentencing. The public defender’s office is taking over the case and will handle any attempts to appeal.

“The family has my deepest condolences,” Telles said during the hearing. “Mr. German was very impactful in the community ... He made a difference.”

German‘s brother, Jay German also spoke during the hearing. He said that the family is “still in shock” two years since his death and it’s “taken a big toll on our family.”

He also said that it will take a long time for them to recover.

“We‘ve celebrated a couple of birthdays since he’s passed,” he said. “It‘s nice to get together as a family and visit Jeff, but it’s just not the same - and it never will be.”