Carson City Sheriff's arrest log: Deputies make three separate felony drug busts

A total of six people were arrested Friday afternoon into early Saturday morning on felony possession of controlled substance offenses, a Carson City Sheriff's deputy said, including four individuals from one bust in East Carson City.

William James Ledford, 49, of Mound House along with 49 year-old Tamara Rhodes of Reno, 19 year-old Zachary Donald Mills of Carson City, and Duryea Dan Miller III, 19, of Mound House were all arrested Friday afternoon at around 5 p.m. in the 1700 block of Brown Street after a Sheriff's deputy on patrol in the neighborhood had noticed two male subjects smoking brown marijuana cigarettes and smelled marijuana penetrating the inside of the patrol car from a partially open vehicle window.

The subjects were smoking next to the open passenger door of a vehicle, the report said, and one had quickly reached down into the passenger area of the vehicle upon the deputy making contact with them. A third male subject was observed in the right rear passenger side of the vehicle.

All three subjects were ordered away from the vehicle, detained an identified. Three additional deputies and a K9 officer had arrived on scene to assist. An exterior sniff was peformed and resulted in a positive alert, the report said.

A subsequent interior vehicle search recovered a small plastic baggie containing a white crystallized substance presumed to be methamphetamine, two brown marijuana cigarettes, and five white prescription tablets stamped with 325 on them. A check of the pills determined they were hydrocodone, classified as a schedule two controlled substance, the report said.

Additional items found inside a backpack from the vehicle were two marijuana grinders, five empty containers with marijuana residue and three marijuana pipes. One of the detained subjects, a 17 year-old relative of Ledford, claimed ownership of the backpack.

All three detained male subjects, who were under the age of 21, admitted to smoking marijuana. But they all denied ownership of either meth or the prescription pills, the report said.

The three males were taken into custody for smoking marijuana in public, underage possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and felony possession of the five hydrocodone tablets which were found within all three male subjects' constructive possession.

Ledford was also contacted at the residence where the males and the vehicle were located. He was owner of the vehicle, but denied ownership of the baggie containing meth, the report said. He did admit to using meth and said he would test positive for it if tested.

Ledford reported that Rhodes, his girlfriend, had been driving the vehicle that day and not him. He told deputies, "I'll take the charge. I don't want her to get arrested."

Rhodes was contacted and questioned by officers, too. She initially reported that she drove Ledford to pick up his minor relative and his friends. But when she was informed of the meth found in the driver door, she changed her story and claimed Ledford had driven the vehicle, the report said.

Rhodes admitted to using meth and that she would test positive for it. She and Ledford were handcuffed and placed in custody for the meth. They were transported to the Carson City Jail and each booked on $2,500 bail.

Mills and Miller were each booked on $2,500 bail.

In other arrests:

— A 52 year-old Carson City man was arrested Friday evening at 6:39 p.m. in the 100 block of Hot Springs Road on felony possession of schedule one and two controlled substances with intent to sell, a Carson City Sheriff's deputy reported.

The suspect was taken into custody after law enforcement responded to a business in the area on report of suspicious circumstances in which the reporting party tipped that a juvenile male may have bee drugged, the arrest report said.

A Sheriff's deputy made contact with part owners, silent partners, of the business. The suspect was the third business partner, but he was not on scene upon law enforcement's arrival.

The two silent partners advised the suspect had been staying overnight in the business for the past four nights. They consented for the deputy to search the premises, the report said.

During the search, a plastic baggie containing a white crystal substance was located on the floor next to Mandeville's desk. The substance was presumed to be meathamphetamine, the report said.

The suspect arrived on scene during the search and he was questioned by the deputy, who obtained consent from him to search his office, where a scale, torch, hypodermic needles, q-tip balls and numerous small plastic baggies commonly used for sales were also found, the report said.

The suspect admitted that the items recovered in the search belonged to him. He was subsequently handcuffed and transported to the Carson City Jail for booking. Bail: $5,000. The charges were later reduced to a misdemeanor.

— A 68 year-old Carson City man was arrested early Saturday morning at 12:05 a.m. in the area of North Roop and East William streets for felony possession of methamphetamine and more than three driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs violations, a Carson City Sheriff's deputy reported.

Larry Richard Meredith was taken into custody after a traffic stop of his vehicle, which had a warrant for the owner attached to its registration.

A Sheriff's deputy performed the stop and made contact with Meredith, who was observed as unable to remain still. His hands were shaking badly as he handed over his driver's license, the report said, and he exhibited obvious bruxism to the point where he appeared to be chewing even though nothing was in his mouth.

The deputy surmised that Meredith's behavior was consistent with being under the influence of meth. He was jerking around while inside the vehicle, the officer observed, but he denied any related medical condition.

A strong odor of marijuana was emanating from Meredith, the deputy observed. The suspect denied using meth. He was asked to exit the vehicle and he complied.

A records check of Meredith through Carson City Dispatch confirmed a revoked driver's license, the report said, as well as an outstanding contempt of court bench warrant issued by the Carson City Justice Court. He was subsequently handcuffed.

A search of Meredith discovered a small baggie containing what appeared to be meth and two meth pipes were located inside of his vehicle. Field sobriety testing showed signs of impairment.

Meredith, who had already served time for three other DUIs, admitted he'd also been recently arrested on a fourth offense. He was transported to the Carson City Jail for booking. Bail: $20,000.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.