Fresno businessman Kirk Vartanian remains in jail, being held for an outstanding warrant out of Clark County in Nevada. Vartanian was arrested early Saturday morning, after he was accused of beating a woman in her Fresno home. He was also held for the Nevada charges, which involved felony counts of check fraud and theft for writing bad checks to two Las Vegas casinos. The charges could scuttle his plans to open a nightclub and restaurants at the Granite Park development.
KSEE 24 News obtained a copy of the arrest warrant out of Nevada. It charges Vartanian with four felony counts of check fraud and theft. The warrant says back in 2007 Vartanian wrote out 16 checks for casino chips totaling $250,000 to the Venetian and Wynn casinos that bounced.
A spokesperson for the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control says that the charges could make it difficult for Vartanian to obtain a liquor license for The Edge, the nightclub he is trying to open at Granite Park, and for restaurants at the Fresno complex that he wants to open.