It's not likely that many attorneys would consider a plea deal that included the permanent surrender of their law license as getting off easy. Then again, none of them were Gary Guymon or facing the charges he was.
On August 26, 2025, Guymon's long legal career came to an ignominious close with a no-contest plea to a pair of felony charges in a courtroom in Las Vegas, Nevada. As part of the plea deal, Guymon agreed to permanently surrender his law license.
How did a respected Clark County prosecutor end up decades later accused of charges that included solicitation to commit murder, sex trafficking, and bribing a witness? It was a long fall for the criminal defense attorney who described himself as a "gorilla pimp" and allegedly coerced a former client into prostitution.
In his defense, Guymon claimed he was suffering from addiction and mental health issues. He declined to make statements beyond a brief apology at the hearing due to an expected lawsuit filing from one of his victims.
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Guymon had begun to make a name for himself as a prosecutor for Clark County before being caught up in an FBI undercover operation. Beginning in 2003, the investigation focused on bribes and illegal campaign contributions given to Clark County Commissioners by a lobbyist representing strip clubs seeking to get local laws changed.
During court proceedings after the delightfully-named "Operation G-Sting" concluded, a strip club owner testified that he gave Guymon, a frequent patron, free lap dances and set up sexual encounters for him with his strippers. In exchange, Guymon allegedly took care of the assault charges, speeding tickets, and DUIs of the club's employees.
Despite denying the quid pro quo allegations, Guymon left the district attorney's office and eventually became a criminal defense attorney. In 2009, he faced a misdemeanor theft charge from an incident at a resort in Utah. The issue was settled by a no-contest plea to trespassing, but that wouldn't be the end of Guymon's criminal troubles.
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As a criminal defense attorney in Las Vegas, some of Guymon's clients included women facing prostitution charges. According to court records, Guymon became involved with a former client in that field in the middle of 2024. While dating, Guymon helped her get a car and an apartment, which she alleged he did to try to control her.
As the relationship soured, he began sending her texts that threatened to "break her teeth" if she didn't do what he wanted her to. Guymon also referred to himself as a "gorilla pimp," slang for someone willing to physically abuse his prostitutes. He allegedly offered a woman $1,000 a month for rent if she'd agree not to report him to the Nevada State Bar Association or cooperate with the police in the investigation against him that began in November 2024.
Guymon was arrested by the Las Vegas Metro Police in February 2025. During the ensuing legal odyssey, Guymon faced a plethora of charges that included the following:
- Bribing or intimidating a witness
- Conspiracy to commit murder
- Coercion with threat of force
- Pandering
- Perjury
- Sex trafficking of an adult
- Solicitation to commit murder
While defiant in proclaiming his innocence early on, Guymon began to change his tune as the legal proceedings progressed. Blaming his alleged transgressions on mental health and addiction issues, he requested that the Nevada Supreme Court apply disability status to his law license. The justices chose to suspend it instead.
As part of his no-contest plea to charges of felony bribery or intimidation of a witness and felony coercion, Guymon agreed to permanent disbarment, two years of probation, and mental health treatment. Despite the potential of several years in prison for each felony, the prosecution chose not to recommend sentencing.
While losing his law license forever will sting, avoiding any jail time despite the hefty number of serious charges he was facing is a deal the former criminal defense attorney has to appreciate. There's no word on whether Guymon's choice of celebration was a walk down the Strip or a lap dance.
Related Resources
- Plea Bargain Advantages and Disadvantages (FindLaw's Criminal Procedure)
- What Does It Really Take To Get Disbarred? (FindLaw's Practice of Law)
- Researching Attorney Discipline (FindLaw's Choosing the Right Lawyer)
