O.C. Broker Denies Role in Las Vegas Kidnaping Case
Two men are on trial here for allegedly kidnaping the daughter of casino mogul Steven A. Wynn, but Spyro Kemble’s reputation is on trial, too.
The Irvine real estate broker has been accused of being a figure in the July 26 kidnaping of Kevin Wynn, 27, who was released unharmed after her father--the chairman of Mirage Resorts Inc.--paid a $1.45-million ransom.
Kemble took the witness stand in federal court Monday and denied any involvement during hours of testimony that touched on $100 bills stacked in bundles and negotiations to buy a $200,000 Ferrari.
As the trial began last week, defense attorney Don Albregts had implicated Kemble by alleging he was the man who drove Wynn’s daughter to the airport, where she was freed two hours after the kidnaping. And Albregts said $500,000 of the ransom money was found in the garage of Kemble’s home.
But when a prosecutor questioned Kemble on Monday whether he had any prior knowledge of the kidnaping or any involvement, Kemble flatly replied: “No I did not.”
Composed and peering directly at the jurors, Kemble, 36, said the only thing he could be accused of is being best friends with Ray Marion Cuddy, whom federal prosecutors say orchestrated the kidnaping.
The kidnaping trial has gripped Las Vegas, a gambling mecca beleaguered by mounting casino holdups, some by accused Los Angeles gang members.
Authorities said Kevin Wynn was kidnaped at gunpoint from her Las Vegas home, bound with surgical tape and clothing and placed on the floor of her car, an Audi with the license plate BIONDA, Italian for blonde. She was driven to McCarran International Airport, where she was found after the ransom had been paid.
In testimony last week, the victim said she was forced to disrobe and photographed in her underwear with one of her assailants as “insurance” in case her father contacted police instead of paying her ransom.
Kemble said he and Cuddy were so close, that over the years, he had loaned Cuddy money, his credit card, and even shared his home.
While Cuddy had some rough financial times, Kemble testified, after the kidnaping, his friend was suddenly spending cash lavishly, seeking to buy an expensive car and a $20,000 watch.
Kemble said Cuddy told him, “ ‘Our ship has come in.’ ”
Cuddy, formerly of Newport Beach, had been an usher at Kemble’s first wedding, and had lived with him occasionally through the 14 years of their friendship, Kemble testified.
Kemble also told the court he had his father, a lawyer in Newport Beach, call the FBI after Cuddy’s arrest when he realized his friend may have boxed ransom money in his garage. FBI agents secured a warrant and searched his garage after the call, finding $500,000 of the ransom in $100 bills stacked in several boxes, Kemble said.
He added he was questioned by the FBI and prosecutors at least 10 more times, with his father or an attorney usually present. Kemble, who was never arrested in connecting with the kidnaping, also testified before a federal grand jury investigating the crime.
His parents and newlywed wife, who have proclaimed his innocence since Albregts’ allegations, sat in the courtroom throughout his several hours on the witness stand.
Cuddy is on trial here with Jacob Sherwood, 22, on charges of kidnaping, extortion and money laundering.
A third defendant, Paul Watkins, 20, pleaded guilty to extortion and testified against Cuddy and Sherwood, his longtime friend, last week. In his testimony, Watkins said only he, Cuddy and Sherwood were involved in the kidnaping.
Cuddy was arrested in Newport Beach a few days after the kidnaping as he tried to complete a cash deal on the Ferrari. He had been driving Kemble’s Mercedes at the time of the arrest and had used Kemble’s credit card to reserve a suite at a luxury hotel, Albregts further alleged.
Much of Kemble’s testimony Monday focused on his friendship with Cuddy and how they would sometimes loan each other money, depending on who needed help. The allegations about him driving Kevin Wynn to the airport never came up during the examination by Albregts.
Under questioning from Assistant U.S. Atty. Jay Angelo, Kemble testified that he first met Cuddy in the early 1980s at the now-defunct Newport Beach Sporting Club. Kemble, who was born in Berlin but has lived in Orange County for most of his life, once worked for Cuddy as a personal fitness trainer at the club before receiving his real estate license and starting his own real estate company.
When Cuddy fell on hard times in early 1993, Kemble said he loaned his friend more than $20,000, and let him use his credit card.
“I had lent Ray money. He utilized my credit card,” Kemble testified, adding that Cuddy never had a credit card of his own, preferring to use cash. “I sent him some money in the mail.”
During that time, Cuddy was counting on receiving a $500,000 settlement from a civil suit involving a former business partner, Kemble testified. When that settlement was overturned on appeal, Kemble added he had never seen his friend more downcast.
“Ray has always been a very positive man,” Kemble said. “No matter what happened, Ray always saw a silver lining. This particular event devastated Ray.”
Cuddy soon after moved from Sacramento to Las Vegas, and once mentioned that he exercised at the same health club as Kevin Wynn, Kemble testified. Cuddy continued to talk about the civil lawsuit and his hope to negotiate a new settlement, Kemble added.
So when Cuddy returned to Newport Beach a day after the kidnaping aiming to buy a new Ferrari, Kemble said he assumed his friend had settled the lawsuit.
“He told me our ship has come in,” Kemble testified. “I understood that was to be that the lawsuit was finally over. Ray had received his money. We could all go on with our lives.”
Kemble testified that Cuddy paid him back the money he had borrowed and lent him at least another $9,000. Kemble said he needed a loan because his business was “not what I intended it to be at the time.”
Cuddy continued to use his credit card occasionally, and borrowed his car because his own Volkswagen Rabbit was being spruced up and washed, Kemble continued.
Kemble admitted to the prosecutor that he did become suspicious about the money when Cuddy hedged at paying cash for the Ferrari, fearing the federal government would learn of the transaction. Cuddy also tried to invest money abroad to avoid government detection, Kemble testified.
But Cuddy, Kemble said, assured him he had tax problems and was only trying to avoid having to pay any more money to the government.
Kemble testified he had no idea about Cuddy’s alleged involvement in the kidnaping until the day his friend was arrested. When he heard that some ransom money had not yet been recovered, Kemble testified he became curious about the eight to 12 boxes Cuddy had been storing at his garage.
Against his father’s advice, Kemble said he searched the boxes and discovered a stack of cash.
Later, after his arrest, Cuddy called Kemble from jail and apologized for stashing the money in the boxes. Three taped calls between the two men were played in court Monday.
“I’m sorry to put it there,” Cuddy told Kemble. “But I didn’t have a place to put it.”
In one conversation, when Kemble said that he was being questioned by the FBI, Cuddy protested: “You know nothing about nothing.”
In another call, Cuddy told Kemble: “I’m so ashamed of the whole thing.”
Mitchell Posin, the lawyer representing Cuddy, said the allegations leveled against Kemble by the other defense lawyer were “unexpected to me and unappreciated.” He said he would not pursue the allegations against Kemble, especially since that would implicate his client.
“The thing I don’t like about this is it makes me feel like I’m facing two prosecutors in the courtroom,” he said. “One of them is physically in front of me, one of them is physically right behind me, that being my co-counsel.”
The courtroom allegation also came as a surprise to those who know Kemble.
“It just doesn’t seem fair,” said Lana Chandler of Newport Beach, who chaired a March of Dimes fund-raiser in which Kemble participated. “He’s worked so hard to maintain a good image . . . and do the right thing. All I can say is great things about him.”
Kemble married for a second time about two months ago, and he and his wife now live in Irvine.
