Man accused of threatening Carson City judge found guilty on separate 2011 weapons charges
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 06/15/2017 - 12:59pm
The man accused of sending a Carson City judge threatening messages, shooting at and attempting to fire bomb his home, was convicted by jury Thursday in Carson City District Court of two felony weapons charges from 2011, said Carson City District Attorney Jason Woodbury.
John Aston, 74, of Reno was found guilty late Thursday morning of carrying a concealed weapon, a category C felony, and possession of a short-barreled shot gun, a category D felony. He will be sentenced on the charges August 1. The jury trial into the 2011 weapons charges began on Monday. He remains in custody at Carson City Jail.
These are separate charges that happened prior to new charges filed against him earlier this year. Aston will go before a judge July 10 for a preliminary examination on the more serious charges associated with threatening the life of Carson City Judge John Tatro. Aston faces felony charges of discharging a firearm at an occupied home, fourth degree arson and aggravated stalking.
In March of this year, Aston was charged with the crimes against Tatro after an intensive investigation by the Carson City Sheriff's Office and the Nevada Division of Investigations.
A task force made up of multiple law agencies was created in the four-year investigation, involving thousands of hours to track down Aston, who allegedly began his reign of threats on the judge beginning Dec. 11, 2012, shooting up the front door to the judge's home.
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