Saturday, February 14, 2009

  by F.T. Norton
Nevada Appeal Staff Writer,

A convicted felon deported to Mexico in August was one of 12 people arrested Thursday in a law enforcement operation checking on people on probation in Carson City.

The operation, which began at noon and ran until 10 p.m., involved law enforcement officers and drug-sniffing dogs from the Carson City Sheriff’s Department, Washoe Tribe, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Division of Parole and Probation and Department of Alternative Sentencing.

Four teams visited 68 addresses to serve warrants and check on probationers under the supervision of Carson City Alternative Sentencing.

Alternative Sentencing Chief Rory Planeta said his office oversees bail conditions and probation for 2,100 people.

At an address on West Winnie Lane, deputies were attempting to serve a warrant on a woman but instead found her brother-in-law who’d been deported in August after serving a stint in prison for a shooting.

Frank Gomez, 25, was convicted in 2007 for shooting into a vehicle in a gang-related shooting at the Crestview Mobile Home Park.

He was arrested Thursday night on felony suspicion of parole violation and an immigration hold was placed on him.

Gomez’s brother Edgar Gomez, 22, was also arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor obstructing police because he allegedly denied anyone else was in the home until police happened upon Frank Gomez hiding in the shower.

Twin brothers, Adam and Caleb Wilson, 19, each on probation for drug-related charges, were arrested at a Carson Street motel when Alternative Sentencing officers found that the two tested positive for opiates.

According to the arrest report, Adam Wilson admitted using heroin earlier in the day and officers found several empty balloons commonly used to package heroin.

Also arrested at the motel was Daniel Magner, 22, on violation of a suspended sentence for failing to complete a substance abuse evaluation. Magner also allegedly admitted use of opiates and a test indicated as much.

Others arrested were:

• Shelley Roinestad, 46, on violation of a suspended sentence for allegedly failing to get a substance abuse evaluation on an initial charge of disorderly conduct.

• Jacob Jeffers, 21, on suspicion of misdemeanor violation of bail conditions after officers found marijuana in the home that Jeffers listed as his main address.

• Dwayne Hammond, 49, on suspicion of violation of a suspended sentence for failing to obtain a substance abuse and anger management evaluation on a charge of disorderly conduct.

• Santiago Cossio, 52, on warrants for failure to pay fines, failure to comply, and violation of bail conditions on a charge of disorderly conduct.

• Dena Marie Reyes, 45, was arrested on a U.S. Marshall’s Warrant for allegedly being a fugitive from Arizona on a drug possession charge.

• Michael Watson, 55, on a warrant for probation violation on a DUI charge.

A Carson City mother was also arrested on charges of methamphetamine sales, after officers went to her Reeves Street home to contact her son who is on probation.

Lori Perneau, 51, was booked into the Carson City Jail on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to Carson City Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Humphrey, officers found 28 grams of methamphetamine packaged for sale in Perneau’s home.

Perneau allegedly told police the drugs were hers and did not belong to her son or daughter.

Mayor Bob Crowell accompanied the officers to a number of searches.

“It was very enlightening, and showed the professionalism of our police force. It also showed some of the problems we have in this city,” said Crowell. “There’s a part of Carson City that you don’t see, that the police see every day and it was there.”

Chief Planeta said this is the third time Carson City has participated in such a sweep.

“We’re going to continue to do these throughout the year. Our main purpose is not to arrest people but to make sure they are complying with the terms of their bail and probation,” he said.

He said the operation served several purposes, one of which was helping Alternative Sentencing with a massive workload divided among the chief and his three officers. Another thing that came out of the evening was that officers were able to verify whether a probationer’s address was valid.

He said they found several addresses were not valid and he is going to request that warrants be issued for those people who are not at the addresses they have listed with Alternative Sentencing.

“So they better contact us and give us a correct address,” Planeta warned.