Gaming entrepreneur Bob Stupak has agreed to seek impulse control counseling to resolve a misdemeanor charge filed after he was accused of pushing his bodyguard.

According to the agreement that was filed in Las Vegas Municipal Court on Thursday, the founder of the Stratosphere must complete a counseling program and avoid any similar incidents for six months. If he complies, he will be found guilty of disturbing the peace and fined $250. If he does not comply with the agreement, he will be found guilty of battery and fined $1,000. Both charges are misdemeanors. The parties will appear before Municipal Judge Bert Brown for a status check on Nov. 4.

Ralph Owens, Stupak's former bodyguard, initially saw some merit in the agreement, particularly the counseling provision. "The man needs help," Owens said. He soured on the arrangement after learning Stupak will satisfy the counseling component by visiting Dr. Harold Orchow of Las Vegas. Owens said he used to drive Stupak to appointments at Orchow's office. He did not question the qualifications or ethics of Orchow. But he said Stupak should not have been permitted to satisfy the counseling requirement with visits to his own doctor.

"It's a big scam. The whole thing's a scam," Owens said. "(Stupak) has got the city in his pocket. That's all it is. It's all a joke, and the little guy loses all the time." Deputy City Attorney Ed Poleski referred questions to City Attorney Brad Jerbic. Jerbic was not in his office Thursday afternoon and did not return a phone message.

According to a police report, the Oct. 25 incident at Stupak's Thunderbird Hotel began when Stupak became angry that he was unable to contact Owens on his cellular phone.
Owens replied that he turned the phone off to save the battery. Stupak then shoved the bodyguard in the chest, causing him to fall back into a chair, according to the police report. Stupak then told the bodyguard he was fired, and Owens replied that he quit, according to the report.

Stupak is the former owner of Vegas World and former chairman of the Stratosphere Corp. He nearly died in a March 1995 motorcycle accident on Rancho Drive.

The Las Vegas City Council in May shot down his plans to construct a $300 million to $400 million Titanic-themed time share on Las Vegas Boulevard, just south of Charleston Boulevard. After neighbors rallied against the proposal, the City Council voted 4-1 against a zone change for the proposed 15-story boat. Wright said he did not believe a misdemeanor conviction would impair Stupak's ability to be licensed for future gaming projects. - LVRJ 07/30/99