LAS VEGAS (AP) - A federal judge in Las Vegas has taken over two criminal cases involving a $7 million tip-concealing scheme at a Caesars Palace nightclub.
Forty-eight-year-old Steve Davidovici and 32-year-old Ali Olyaie pleaded guilty in March to filing false tax returns. Davidovici is a former owner of the Pure Nightclub.
Chief U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones issued written orders Monday saying he was taking over the cases from Senior U.S. District Judge Kent Dawson. The FBI has been investigating ties between Davidovici and Dawson's 38-year-old son, David.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports prosecutors sought prison time for Davidovici. In June, Dawson sentenced him to three years of probation, including eight months of home confinement.
Dawson determined there was no conflict of interest but was forced to temporarily delay the sentence.
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