Marijuana found in city sting

An 18-year-old Carson City man charged with watching for water wasters was caught Monday with illegal drugs and sales paraphernalia during a random city vehicle search, city utility officials said.

Jose Ramon Fontanez III of Carson City, a water watcher for Carson City's Utilities Department, was on duty when officials found 31 grams of a substance suspected to be marijuana in his city truck about 5:50 p.m. Monday. About 50 vehicles were subject to the random search, said Utilities Operations Manager Tom Hoffert.

Curtis Horton, water operations chief for the city, said he found the marijuana in the vehicle's glove compartment, police reports said. A scale and seven clear plastic bags suitable for drug sales were also alleged to have been found in the vehicle.

Fontanez is a summer employee hired to enforce Carson City's water restrictions.

According to the police report, he admitted to officials the marijuana was his, saying he got it from a white man at the corner of Hot Springs Road and Roop Street but could not identify him.

"It's been several years since we've found anything," Hoffert said. "We conduct these inspections periodically, and we're looking for anything inappropriate, things that shouldn't be in a city vehicle."

Fontanez was detained by city officials until Carson City Sheriff's deputies arrived. He was arrested at Mountain Street and Wagner Drive on suspicion of felony possession of marijuana. Bail was set at $7,500.