A man who helped police in the arrest of a Las Vegas cab driver’s killer is now complaining he’s been denied $20,000 in promised reward money.
Kregg Nettrour filed suit last week in Clark County District Court against the nonprofit group Crime Stoppers of Nevada and against Whittlesea Blue Cab Co.
In August 2004, Nettrour identified an acquaintance as the killer of Pairoj Chitprasart, a taxi driver who had been set on fire by a robbery suspect and died a few days later. The acquaintance was later convicted.
Nettrour has said for years that he deserves more than the $2,000 he received from Crime Stoppers for being a good Samaritan.
He also believes the local taxi industry owes him $20,000 pursuant to a reward program that was active in 2004.
The reward system was announced in February 2004 — months before the murder of Chitprasart — and was publicized in the Las Vegas Sun at that time.
“Kregg Nettrour had accepted defendants’ written offer of a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a person who commits a crime against a taxi cab driver,” his lawsuit said. “Crime Stoppers of Nevada and/or Whittlesea Blue breached said agreement.”
Officials couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Monday at Crime Stoppers. A message for comment was left with Whittlesea Blue Cab.
Then-Clark County District Attorney David Roger told the Las Vegas Review-Journal for a 2006 story that he advised the taxi industry not to pay the $20,000 reward because such a payment could jeopardize the conviction of the man fingered in the crime by Nettrour. The problem with the potential $20,000 reward, Roger said, is that it hadn’t been disclosed to defense attorneys.