Las Vegas Sands executive Michael Levoff of Old Westbury charged with weapons violations, court records show
Michael Levoff leaves a meeting at the Portsmouth Rotary Club in Greenland, N.H., in 2011. Credit: AP / Stephan Savoia
An executive with Las Vegas Sands, the international resort company that won a 99-year lease to build a $4 billion casino, hotel, entertainment center and housing around the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, was arrested by Old Westbury police this week and charged with two weapons violations, court records show.
Police who executed a search warrant at the Old Westbury home of Michael Levoff, 37, recovered a loaded Ruger .38-caliber pistol and a Glock 9 mm handgun, as well as hollow-point bullets, according to a felony complaint prepared by Old Westbury police.
Levoff pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal possession of a firearm at an arraignment on Monday in Nassau County District Court in Mineola.
He is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 23.
“It is premature to jump to conclusions,” said Levoff’s attorney, Lawrence V. Carra. “There are a lot of factors that require consideration in this case that will lead to exoneration.”
The search warrant was executed as part of a joint domestic violence investigation involving the Old Westbury police and the NYPD, the complaint said. Levoff has not been charged with any domestic violence-related crimes. Carra said the judge at Levoff's arraignment rejected a request by the Nassau district attorney's office to issue a protective order.
“The defendant, Michael Levoff, is the property owner of said residence and does not have any issued New York State pistol license or pistol permit to legally possess handguns in the State of New York,” the felony complaint said.
Levoff is a senior vice president for public affairs and strategy with Sands and has played an active role in the company’s push to develop the Nassau Hub.
The Nassau County Legislature voted 17-1 in April to grant Sands a 99-year lease to develop 72 acres around the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, a project that will include a casino, hotel, entertainment center and housing. Nassau County and Sands closed on the lease for the property, known as the Nassau Hub, last month. The casino is dependent on winning one of three highly competitive state gaming licenses.
A spokesman for Sands did not immediately return a call for comment.
Levoff had previously served as a spokesman for Sen. Mitt Romney’s and former Ambassador Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaigns, according to his LinkedIn page. He previously served as a spokesman for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Levoff is the son of actress Elaine Joyce and the stepson of playwright Neil Simon, according to a wedding announcement in The New York Times.
'A spark for them to escalate the fighting' A standoff between officials has stalled progress, eroded community patience and escalated the price tag for taxpayers. Newsday investigative editor Paul LaRocco and NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie report.
'A spark for them to escalate the fighting' A standoff between officials has stalled progress, eroded community patience and escalated the price tag for taxpayers. Newsday investigative editor Paul LaRocco and NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie report.
