Carson City sheriff's investigation results in arrest for steroid manufacturing lab at residence

A 43-year-old man was arrested Friday for suspicion of felony drug and weapon offenses by the Carson City Sheriff's Office Special Enforcement Team following an investigation into a residence where officers located, among other things, chemicals used to manufacture steroids.

Joshua Baroni was taken into custody at 3:07 p.m. He was booked for the following: Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of schedule III drugs for sale, conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substance Act, unlawful manufacturing of a drug, possession of a short barreled gun and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the booking reported, deputies secured a search warrant and located 408 grams of suspected steroids and manufacturing chemicals associated with the steroids.

The booking report states officers responded to the Gordon Street residence in reference to an alarm call for service. Officers approached the residence and noticed the back sliding door was open. Deputies entered the residence and conducted a safety sweep where a sergeant located what appeared to be a makeshift drug lab in the master bedroom closet. Once deputies cleared the residence of any subject they immediately exited the residence, the report states.

SET detectives arrived to the area a short time later and took over the investigation. Officers informed SET what was observed, including a table with glass beakers, a ziplock bag that contained a white crystalline substance and several chemicals. Also seen were two rifles, one in the master bedroom and the second in the closet where the lab was, the report states.

At 2:50 p.m. officers were informed the renter of the residence arrived. He was detained and advised of his rights per Miranda and he agreed to talk to detectives. He told a detective he was manufacturing testosterone in the lab. He stated he manufactures the testosterone and gives it to his friends. He then named some of the chemicals inside the lab and identified them as bento-alcohol, isopropyl-alcohol and bento-benzoate, according to the booking report.

With the information received, deputies applied for and were granted a search warrant. Due to to the unknown substance inside the lab, officers used level C protective hazardous material suites and air purifying respirators, the report states.

Detectives entered the residence along with the 92nd Civil Support Team to deem the residence safe. Once the residence was deemed safe, SET detectives entered the residence and began to process the evidence. Detectives located 11 vials that contained a yellow liquid and two boxes of human growth hormones. It was determined the substance in the drug making lab was not methamphetamine, the report states.

Based on Baroni's own admission and detectives locating HGH inside the residence, officers determined the substance was most likely steroids, the report states. The substances were submitted to the Washoe County Office Crime Lab for testing.

Detectives locate 408 grams of suspected steroids across 11 separate bags. Detectives also located a black digital scale, several blue glass vials where they were packaged. Based on the large amount of suspected steroids, along with the packaging items, deputies believed the suspect is selling steroids and not using them for personal reasons, the report states.

Detectives located two rifles in the residence, one of which was shorter than 16 inches (confirmed with measuring tape.) Officers took pictures of the rifle, along with the measuring tape. The legal length of a rifle barrel is 16 inches. There was a stock on the end of the rifle instead of an arm brace, the report states. All evidence was collected, photographed and booked into evidence. Deputies provided the man with a copy of the search warrant.

Detectives interview the man at Carson City Jail. A detective stated the man admitted to manufacturing steroids and giving it to his friends. The man informed a detective that he used the steroids on himself every five days, the report states.

He also told a detective that he mails some of the steroids to his friends in California. He told a detective that he did not have a federal tax stamp, which is required to possess a short barreled gun, the report states. Bail: $20,000

In other arrests:
— A 21-year-old inmate at Carson City Jail was booked for suspicion of felony assault of an inmate, according to a sheriff's office booking report.

Ember Rose Miller was charged following an incident investigation. According to the booking report, at around 10:20 p.m. on Oct. 9 a jail deputy received a call via radio of a verbal argument in the female general pod. The deputy respond and spoke to an inmate who stated inmate Miller had hit her in the head.

Miller was taken out of the Female General Pod and escorted to booking in order to separate the parties involved, the arrest report states.

A jail deputy reviewed video footage and observed Miller hitting the victim on the left side of the face with an open hand. The deputy spoke with the victim and read her Miranda rights and she agreed to speak. She stated Miller had hit her on the side of the head because she was being loud and hyper, the report states. A deputy observed redness on the left side of the face and ear.

The deputy read Miller her Miranda rights, in which she understood and she refused to speak. Miller was book for suspicion of battery on an inmate. Bail: $20,000.

— A 43-year-old Carson City man was arrested Sunday for suspicion of gross misdemeanor obstruction with an officer with force, misdemeanor hit and run and DUI.

According to the arrest report, Carson City Sheriff's deputies responded at 12:37 a.m. to the area of Koontz and Silver Sage for a report of a hit and run driver.

The victim gave deputies a description of the vehicle, the registration number and a description of the man driving the vehicle before he left the scene. The victim, who had a small child and an infant in their vehicle, advised there would be front end damage to the suspect vehicle.

A Carson City Sheriff's Office sergeant located the vehicle where the registration indicated the owner lived. the suspect at the residence matched the description the victim provided. He exited the residence and was detained. The vehicle had front end damage, the report states.

Based on victim statements, vehicle description and damage, the man was arrested for suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident.

A deputy attempted to put the man into a patrol vehicle and observed his speech was heavily slurred, his eyes red and watery and his movements slow and unsteady. A nearby witness said they observed the man arrive at the residence and observed he appeared intoxicated.

At jail, the man was read questions for a standardized field sobriety test where he refused to answer most of the questions and claimed he had not consumed any alcohol. A deputy conducted a horizontal gaze nystagmus test. The man refused further testings. Based on observations and the man's refusal of further testing, the deputy advised the man was being charged with DUI alcohol, the arrest report states.

The suspect was read the request for voluntary evidence and he refused testing, the report states. A search warrant for a blood draw was requested. The search warrant was granted by a Carson City judge. He refused to comply. Two blood samples were forcibly removed from the man. Bail: $4,411.

— 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.