Carson City meth bust nets 30 grams; surveillance equipment and vehicle seized

Carson City authorities made a significant methamphetamine bust over the weekend, netting at least 30 grams of the drug, seizing a vehicle and finding police scanners and night vision cameras used as surveillance.

Deputies arrested the 52-year-old suspect, a Carson City carpenter, on numerous felony drug charges including drug trafficking.

According to the arrest report, on Saturday Carson City deputies were assigned to the Special Enforcement Team at about 5 p.m. where they met with a confidential informant who stated he could purchase methamphetamine from the suspect. The informant contacted the suspect and arranged to purchase four baggies worth $200 of meth at a casino located at the 3700 block of South Carson Street.

The informant stated the suspect sells baggies of meth at $50 apiece which is approximately 1/2 gram per baggie. At about 6:30 p.m. the deputies did surveillance of the casino when a maroon Ford Explorer identified by the informant as the suspect pulled into the casino. The suspect called the informant and told him that he was inside the casino. The deputies approached the vehicle and asked the suspect to get out. A deputy saw four small orange plastic baggies sitting on the driver's seat where the suspect had been sitting, according to the report. Each baggie contained a white crystal substance that appeared to be methamphetamine and each appeared to be approximately 1/2 gram in each baggie. One of the baggies tested positive for meth. The four baggies weighed approximately 2.5 grams.

The suspect was arrested and placed into cuffs, and Miranda Rights were given. The suspect stated he understood his rights and agreed to speak with the arresting officer. He stated that he was unemployed and was selling meth to pay his rent and bills. The suspect was searched and $1,049 was found in his right front pants pocket. He stated that he did not have any more meth in his vehicle. The suspect consented to a search of his vehicle for drugs and signed a consent search form from his vehicle.

Meanwhile deputies searched the vehicle. In the center console between the driver and passenger seats a deputy noticed the console tray and cup holder were not screwed to the console. A deputy lifted the cup holder and found two metal magnetic hide-a-key boxes underneath the cup holder. In each of these boxes were small orange baggies each containing approximately 1/2 gram of meth. A total of 14 baggies of meth were found in the two hide-a-key boxes. The vehicle was impounded and seized.

The suspect had prior convictions for trafficking a controlled substance, including drug arrests from his residence in the 1300 block of Spartan Drive in Carson City. A deputy contacted the Deputy District Attorney and began to seek a telephonic search warrant of the residence for drugs. The search warrant was granted by Carson City Justice Court Judge Robey Willis.

The Special Enforcement Team served the search warrant of the suspect's home. During the search a deputy went inside the suspect's bedroom. In a green cabinet drawer the deputy found a small black rectangular plastic box. The box was closed and secured with screws. The deputy opened the box and saw a large plastic baggie that contained numerous smaller red plastic baggies, according to the arrest report.

In each of the baggies was approximately 1/2 gram of meth. There were 24 separate baggies, each containing meth. The total weight of the baggies was approximately 19 grams, according to the arrest report. Also in a trash can in the bedroom was a sandwich baggie with white residue. A K9 determined that it was also meth.

In a cabinet in the living room was a large package of empty red baggies that were found and matched the red baggies of the suspected meth found in the bedroom, according to the arrest report. The outside front and side entrances of the home had night vision cameras which were fed to televisions inside the suspect's home, and police scanners were found in the bedroom and living room. The scanners were monitoring Carson City Sheriff's Office frequencies.

In the Ford Explorer and at the residence a total of 42 baggies of meth were found. The total weight was approximately 30 grams. A check of the suspect's criminal history showed two prior convictions of trafficking a controlled substance, two prior convictions for sales and possession for sales of a controlled substance and two prior convictions of a controlled substance.

The suspect was booked in the Carson City Jail for trafficking a controlled substance over 28 grams, possession of a controlled substance for sale second offense, possession of a controlled substance second offense; possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of methamphetamine and maintaining a drug house within 1,000 feet of a school. The suspect's home is less than 1,000 feet from Fremont Elementary School, located at 1511 Firebox in Carson City. Bail has been set at $291,500.