Michonne Ascuaga resigned Friday from the Nevada Gaming Commission, the same week court filings revealed a federal investigation into the financial practices of The Nugget in Sparks under the ownership of the Ascuaga family.
The court filings are part of an ongoing legal dispute between the Ascuagas and Wolfhound Holdings LLC, the company that purchased the hotel-casino in 2013.
An investigation by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network was detailed in a lawsuit filed Wednesday by Wolfhound Holdings in Washoe District Court. The holding company says the Nugget was investigated for failing to meet federal record-keeping and reporting requirements.
Ascuaga was the CEO of The Nugget for 16 years. She said in a statement that she was never the target of the investigation, which arose from an audit-type examination by the Internal Revenue Service.
Governor Brian Sandoval issued the following statement after he accepted the resignation of Michonne Ascuaga from the Nevada Gaming Commission.
“Michonne Ascuaga has served the Nevada Gaming Commission well. I admire her and wish to recognize her family's long history as leaders in the gaming industry. I appreciate that she has put the credibility and reputation of the Gaming Commission first. Michonne is a consummate professional and will continue to be a leader in our community,” said Governor Brian Sandoval.
(The Associated Press also contributed to this report.)
