Carns case still under investigation, prosecutors have not filed charges yet

Former Nye County Republican Party chairman William “Bill” Carns remained in limbo after a May 5 status hearing in Pahrump Justice Court, where prosecutors still had not filed a charging document despite months of investigation. Justice of the Peace Kirk Vitto told Carns the state had been given time to prepare charges, but as of that morning no formal filing had been made.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Daniel Young said the state was still receiving evidence from the Nye County Sheriff’s Office and needed more time before deciding whether to charge Carns. Young told the court the investigation was still ongoing, with the district attorney’s office continuing to sort through digital evidence and metadata connected to the case.

Vitto explained that the filing clock depends on the level of offense, saying prosecutors have one year to file misdemeanors, two years for gross misdemeanors and at least three years for felonies, depending on the charge. He also said Carns was being released without obligation to the court at that point, while making clear the case could return if prosecutors eventually decide to file. For now, the hearing left the case exactly where it had stood before the hearing began: still under investigation and not yet in court on formal charges.

Carns was arrested Jan. 31 at about 11:28 a.m. after a detective obtained a warrant, and bail was set at $45,000 before he was released the same day. The arrest summary listed five alleged offenses, including child sexual abuse material-related allegations and multiple weapons charges, among them possession or manufacture of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, manufacture or possession of a dangerous weapon, and manufacture or assembly of a firearm without an issued serial number. Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill said the warrant came from an open case and declined further comment.

The case has carried local political fallout because Carns is a recognizable figure in Nye County Republican circles. Current GOP chairman Leo Blundo said the party had no current association with Carns and called the allegations horrific. Carns later told 8 News Now he was absolutely baffled by the accusations and suggested they could be tied to a custody dispute involving his son’s mother. Edward Bevilacqua, a Pahrump resident, said the community wanted closure and wanted law enforcement to do its job.

The hearing also landed against a backdrop of long-running tension over transparency in Nye County, where McGill and District Attorney Brian Kunzi publicly clashed in June 2024 over the timing of releasing arrest reports and other records. In Carns’ case, that same tension is visible in real time: investigators say they are still collecting and reviewing evidence, while residents wait to see whether the former county GOP leader will face charges at all.