Carson City Sheriff: Suspect's DNA matches with evidence collected from threats made at judge

DNA evidence that links a 74-year-old Reno man to threats made to a Carson City judge has been confirmed, Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong said Wednesday.

John Aston remains in Carson City Jail for a contempt of court charge. Carson City Sheriff’s Office detectives on Wednesday received the most recent analysis of evidence submitted to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab. As a result of DNA evidence retrieved and a match confirmed, said Furlong.

"We had DNA on several things that linked all the evidence together," said Furlong. "DNA from the firebombing, the stamp from the card and DNA retrieved from evidence collected."

Carson City District Attorney Jason Woodbury will decide whether to pursue charges. Furlong said detectives have submitted the case to the DAs office for the filing of additional charges against Aston. The recommended charges include aggravated stalking, fourth degree arson, and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling. Each charge references Judge John Tatro as the victim of the case.

Last month, law enforcement received a tip that Aston should be interviewed regarding a four-year investigation into threats made against Carson City Justice Court Judge John Tatro. No arrests have been made in the threats made against Tatro.

Carson City and Department of Public Safety Investigations Division Officers transported Aston to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, where information was provided to an investigating task force. Aston provided no substantial information to the investigators.

The case has remained active and opened since the first threats made against the judge in December 2012, when, during the early morning hours, Tatro's home was the target of shots fired through his front door. In December of 2013, Judge Tatro received death threats on a Christmas card in the mail.

Then, in May of 2015, Deputies again responded to the judge’s residence when a failed attempt to “fire bomb” his residence was discovered.

In mid-2016, Carson City District Attorney Jason Woodbury obtained a “DNA warrant” related to the case. This rarely issued type of warrant was based on the DNA marker evidence that was collected at two of the three incidents at the residence of Judge Tatro.

Carson City Sheriff’s Office records reflect two prior contacts with Aston. He was cited for a minor traffic offense in 2005, and was arrested in 2011 for weapons related offenses, including carrying a concealed weapon and being in possession of a “sawed off shotgun.” The weapons charges ultimately resulted in the felony contempt of court warrant

On February 1, 2017, Carson City Sheriff’s Detectives and Department of Public Safety Investigators received information that an inmate at the Washoe County Sheriff’s Detention Center was being held on a 2011 contempt of court warrant out of Carson City with a $5,000 bail.

Aston has remained in custody on charges stemming from the 2011 arrest on weapons charges. He is currently being held at the Carson City Jail on $250,000 bail.

Over the course of the last 4 years, a multi-agency task force developed, led by the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Public Safety Investigations Division, to investigate this matter.

Thousands of local, state, and federal investigative hours have been committed to identifying and locating the suspect of the threats and acts committed against the local Justice Court Judge.

During the past 18 months, an extensive effort entailed officers going door to door throughout the region, and in some cases to California, to inspect DMV registered vehicles that had any similarity to the suspect vehicle that had been identified.

These contacts often resulted in interviewing the registered owners. Ultimately, as a result the tip provided on Feb. 1, the vehicle was located inside of a long term rental storage locker in Sparks. Since Feb. 1, investigators have been coming through an abundance of evidence retrieved from the locker, and other locations, that directly linked Aston to the offenses.

"Today, investigators were confident that sufficient evidence had been analyzed and received in order to forward the case for formal charges," said Furlong in a press statement.

Furlong expects that District Attorney Woodbury will review the case summary and file a criminal complaint against Aston within days.