A 36-year-old Dayton woman was arrested Friday on drug charges for her involvement in the arrest of a Reno man who had served time in prison for his part in a 2016 high-profile prescription drug ring.
Following a Carson City Sheriff’s Office investigation, which involved the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Courtney O’Brien was taken into custody. LCSO announced Saturday the arrest of Richard West Jr. in Mound House and O’Brien in Carson City as part of a joint investigation with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Team.
In 2017, Richard West Jr., former GM of a Reno car dealership, was sentenced to two years in prison for prescription drug conspiracy and possession with intent to sell following a prescription “pill mill” drug bust involving multiple people in April 2016.
O’Brien was booked Friday by Carson City Sheriff’s Office investigators for suspicion of felony conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substance Act for possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl. She was also booked for gross misdemeanor possession of a dangerous prescription drug without a prescription and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to the booking report, SET deputies learned that O’Brien was associating with West, a known opioid user, and was seen in a gray pickup. A reporting party (RP) indicated West and O’Brien had purchased a large quantity of fentanyl in Reno and were staying at a motel in the 2100 block of East William Street. SET detectives confirmed they had checked into a room and were booked until Saturday, Sept. 5.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office located the pickup at a Highway 50 East gas station in Mound House. Detectives responded to the location where West was located and arrested for narcotics related charges.
Detectives spoke with West and read him his Miranda warning. West stated he understood and agreed to speak with the SET detectives. West reported additional narcotics and related equipment were in his motel room in Carson City where O’Brien was present, the report states.
Due to the circumstances, a CCSO detective applied for and was granted a search warrant for West’s motel room. SET detectives responded to the room, where O’Brien exited and was contacted by a CCSO sergeant and two other detectives, the report states. During contact, the woman agreed to return to the room and allowed SET detectives to speak with her. She was read her Miranda warning where she advised she understood and agreed to speak.
She then provided a detective with a plastic bag containing methamphetamine. She also consented to SET detectives searching her belongings. Detectives searched her purse and located additional methamphetamine, fentanyl and aluminum foil with burnt residue. A detective located another plastic bag containing methamphetamine and a plastic tooter straw. Lastly, detectives located a third plastic bag containing six “TEVA 45” tablets. These were identified as Buspirone Hydrochloride, a medication only obtainable with a prescription, which she did not have, the report states.
During execution of the search warrant, a detective located a glass water bong with methamphetamine residue in the bathroom sink. They also found a black digital scale with a white powdery substance on the room’s desk and also located methamphetamine pipes in one of the dressers, the report states. Also located was a black backpack containing a rainbow-colored tooter straw (used for inhaling illegal drugs) and a rainbow-colored digital scale, along with several casino playing cards bearing Richard West’s name, the report states.
During the interview, O’Brien disclosed she would often purchase methamphetamine and / or fentanyl from two individuals who reside in Reno. She advised she would meet with them to obtain narcotics and transport them back to Carson City and Dayton. Additionally, she explained the people would frequently reach out to her for narcotics transactions and she would facilitate these transactions whether they happened in Dayton, Carson City or Reno.
A sergeant asked her if he could review her cellphone conversions. She agreed. Upon further inspection, the sergeant noted the woman had several text message conversations that corroborated the narcotics transactions and deliveries, the report states.
Based on the items located she was arrested. During the search she was asked if she had any additional narcotics on her person. She advised she had a bag containing fentanyl concealed in her bra and gave it to the officer. She was escorted to a patrol car and taken to the hospital due to her admission of recent fentanyl use, the report states.
Detectives processed all the evidence located. The plastic bag containing methamphetamine found in her bag weighted a gross weight of 25.41 grams. A second plastic bag containing fentanyl also found in the same purse, weighed 3.11 grams. A black plastic bag with additional fentanyl in the same purse weighed .58 grams. A multi-colored rubber container with fentanyl in the same purse weighed 12.01 grams. A plastic bag containing fentanyl, removed from her bra, weighed 1.76 grams. The plastic bag continuing methamphetamine located in the woman’s backpack weighed 2.69 grams.
O’Brien was taken to Carson City Jail. She was booked for suspicion of conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substance Act, possession of methamphetamine, possession of of fentanyl, possession of a dangerous drug without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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