Convicted pimp with multiple life sentences in Las Vegas case now free man
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A convicted pimp who was expected to spend the rest of his life in prison is now a free man.
Raymond Sharpe, 59, originally received 18 convictions after he was accused of being a violent pimp. All of those convictions were vacated in February after Sharpe agreed to a new deal that reduced the charges to three felonies.
“I spent almost 13 years for something I didn’t do,” Sharpe said in an exclusive interview with the 8 News Now Investigators. “It’s crazy.”
A jury in Clark County found Sharpe guilty of 13 charges in 2011. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 10 years for all of the counts. However, eleven of the counts were to run concurrently, while two were to run consecutively.
The charges included coercion, first-degree kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon, battery constituting domestic violence resulting in substantial bodily harm, battery constituting domestic violence with use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm, burglary, living with a prostitute, living from the earnings of a prostitute, pandering with force, assault with use of a deadly weapon, operate premises to alter, destroy or disassemble motor vehicles, possession of stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, and deface, destroy or alter identification number or mark.
In 2013, Sharpe was convicted of five additional charges of possession of a firearm by an ex-felon. He entered an Alford plea on Feb. 15 for three felony charges including possession of a firearm by an ex-felon, second-degree kidnapping, and coercion with force. The aggregate total sentence was eight to 20 years in the Nevada Department of Corrections, according to court documents. Sharpe received credit for 4,596 days already served and was released from prison on Feb. 27.
Clark County District Court Judge Crystal Eller vacated Sharpe’s original 18 convictions on Feb. 22. Sharpe told the 8 News Now Investigations he was not satisfied with the deal because he wanted more problems with his criminal case to be exposed.
“I was being released on their terms and not the way it should have been,” Sharpe said.
He fought his case from prison and told the 8 News Now Investigators he frequently went to the prison’s library to educate himself about the law.
In court filings, Sharpe’s attorneys pointed to ineffective counsel during his 2011 jury trial. He was represented by Steve Stein who has since passed away.
Sharpe claimed there was faulty evidence in the case against him, the jury trial should never have happened four days after a grand jury indicted him for an additional four charges, and that text messages between the lead detective and victim in the case should have been exposed.
In text messages to Alisha Grundy, Las Vegas Metro Police Detective Chris Baughman referred to her as “honey,” “angel,” “princess,” “sweetheart,” “babe” and “beautiful.” He also texted her a link to a song as he referred to it as “our song.” Baughman texted Grundy “I love you,” and said he missed her and asked when he could see her.
In an exclusive interview with the 8 News Now Investigators, Alisha Grundy said she believes Baughman was hitting on her but she played along to manipulate him.
“I learned from Sharpe, manipulation,” Grundy said.
It was Grundy who turned over the text messages to help Sharpe. Grundy had recanted her original story and wrote Sharpe letters apologizing to him. Now she points to Stockholm Syndrome, which is a coping mechanism to a captive or abusive situation, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“You feel sorry for the person that’s abused you and you try to protect them,” Grundy said. “I’m thinking oh this guy is gonna get out and he’s really gonna kill me this time.”
Grundy said she was concerned she would never see her son again. Sharpe is the father of her son. Once Grundy believed Sharpe exhausted his appeals, she said she began to publicly share her story about what unfolded on July 2, 2011, which led to Sharpe’s arrest.
“He pistol-whipped me and he beat me for about 20 minutes up and down the stairs. I pretended like he knocked me out,” Grundy said. “Heard him like loading guns and so I jumped up and ran out of the house with just my underwear on.”
Sharpe denied the allegations.
“Did I kick her? Yes, I kicked her,” Sharpe said. “Was that for a life sentence? No.”
Sharpe was previously convicted of three felonies in California including assault with a deadly weapon in 1983, pimping in 1989, and unlawful sex with a minor in 1992.
“All three I did,” Sharpe told the 8 News Now Investigators. “If I did something I’ll tell you. Yes, I did.”
Sharpe’s case is not the first sex trafficking case that appeared to unravel.
In 2016, 8 News Now Chief Investigator George Knapp reported about an FBI investigation into Las Vegas Metro’s vice unit.
That same year, Arman Izadi who had been accused of running a prostitution ring and faced 20 felony charges and a potential life sentence was offered a plea deal resulting in one count of pandering.
In 2020, convicted pimp Ocean Fleming who was serving a potential life sentence since 2012 was released from prison.
It appeared Baughman had also worked on their cases.
Baughman later married the prosecutor who handled sex trafficking cases, Liz Mercer.
For Sharpe’s appeal, special prosecutor Joshua Tomsheck was appointed. Tomsheck declined to comment on the case.
The 8 News Now Investigators also made attempts to reach Baughman and Mercer.
Mercer remains a prosecutor.
Baughman no longer works at Metro.
“It’s corruption to the highest and they need to be held accountable for it,” Sharpe said.
Grundy told the 8 News Now Investigators she was never officially notified about Sharpe’s release.
Marsy’s Law which passed in Nevada in 2018 is aimed at protecting victims. It requires notification about postconviction proceedings, but the notification is upon request.
“How could I reach out to them when he was supposed to be serving his next life sentence in 2086? Grundy asked. “Like I didn’t think I had to.”
Grundy said after Sharpe sued her from prison, she countersued and was awarded a $2.5 million judgment plus property previously owned by Sharpe and another $24.5 million which she believes she will never see. She said the case is the first of its kind as a victim of sex trafficking successfully won a civil case against their pimp.
Grundy said that she fears that Sharpe will seek revenge, while Sharpe insists he is not dangerous.
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