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County Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos, 52, was arrested and booked Thursday, Dec. 20, on a charge of seeking a bribe from a public official.

The charge stems from an allegation by Town Board Chairman Laurayne Murray that Liakopoulos had offered to vote for the public safety sales tax if he could secure a lease from the town for a building located at the Pahrump Veteran's Memorial or alternately ensure his wife's placement on the memorial's advisory board.

Murray was quoted making this allegation in the Dec. 19 edition of the Pahrump Valley Times.

A subsequent investigation by the sheriff's office determined that Murray did not enter into an agreement with Liakopoulos.

According to the sheriff's office press release, however, "Liakopoulos had made contact with an independent witness regarding this attempt to a bribe from board member Murray and had used this witness in a further attempt to persuade (Murray)."

By this writing, Liakopoulos had been released on his own recognizance.