The mayor of South Lake Tahoe, Cody Bass, was sentenced in the Tahoe Justice Court to 45 days in jail, 35 of which are suspended, after a brawl with a bouncer at the Lake Tahoe AleWorx bar in Stateline, Nevada. The sentence, announced on Tuesday, requires Bass to serve ten days in Douglas County Jail immediately, with the remainder suspended for two years on the condition that he abstains from alcohol, marijuana and other controlled substances.
Bass was arrested on September 25 after allegedly kicking a bouncer in the knee and threatening to “have people kill” him. The misdemeanor assault and harassment charge stemmed from a prior ban at the venue. During sentencing, Bass’s lawyer said the mayor regretted not testifying at his bench trial, and Bass admitted he should have walked away, describing himself as “not a violent person.”
Bouncer Bob Hoyopatubbi, who was the victim of the incident, testified that he had endured months of harassment from Bass beginning in July 2025, including repeated threats that endangered his safety and that of his family. Hoyopatubbi said the altercation caused him to lose his job at AleWorx and that Bass’s position as mayor complicated matters.
Judge Richard Glasson noted that a public official’s rough conduct should not tarnish the community’s reputation. Bass, who has served on the city council since 2018 and became mayor in a temporary capacity last fall, will remain banned from AleWorx and must pay a $1,127 fine and avoid contact with the victim. The city has not yet announced who will fill the mayoral vacancy while Bass serves his sentence.
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