Man set to plead in mushroom case

A 24-year-old man is to appear in District Court on Monday on several felony drug charges in connection with the sale of nearly 500 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Ryan Moore waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday in East Fork Justice Court.

He is charged with trafficking, sales and possession of a controlled substance.

He is accused of providing 490 grams of psilocybin mushrooms to Leslie Rayann Stein and possessing 100 grams of marijuana.

Stein was sentenced in June to up to 25 years in prison for her role in the transaction.

She must serve a minimum of 10 years before she is eligible for parole.

Moore turned himself in to Douglas County authorities on Aug. 9 after violating the terms of his house arrest.

He was a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a drunk driving accident and fled the scene.

n A 55-year-old Indian Hills man was ordered to serve six months in Douglas County Jail for violating his probation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

East Fork Judge Jim EnEarl said he would send Larry Meredith to drug rehabilitation while he serves the sentence.

Meredith admitted four probation violations.

"You're 55? You look 80," EnEarl said. "I think the entire law enforcement community thinks you're dealing dope."

Meredith denied the accusation despite the fact that officers found scales, rolling papers, a digital scale and a syringe at Meredith's residence at Highland Manor Apartments during a search by his alternative sentencing officer.

Meredith's lawyer, Terri Roeser, asked that probation be reinstated. She said her client claimed he still had a place to live and was receiving $900 a month in veterans' disability.

Meredith said he hadn't been in jail since he served a prison sentence for felony drunk driving in 1993 prior to this offense.

He was given a 180-day suspended sentence in May for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Meredith was arrested again in late July by his alternative sentencing officer who was investigating a complaint that Meredith was selling drugs from his apartment.

n Ryan Pabor, 26, a suspect in a dozen burglaries in north Douglas County, is set to plead guilty Tuesday to one count of felony burglary.

Pabor originally faced 11 counts in the burglaries which occurred in December and January.

He waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday in East Fork Justice Court.

Three co-defendants have entered guilty pleas.

Investigators estimated the total property loss and damage at $100,000.

n A Gardnerville woman is to appear Aug. 28 in District Court on a felony drunk driving charge.

Monica Johnson, 49, waived her right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl had set her bail at $50,000 cash after she appeared in court Monday under the influence of alcohol.

"I don't hate you, but your life is in the toilet," EnEarl said. "You can't come in here facing a felony DUI and drink breakfast. You have to deal with your issues and not by getting drunk.

"We're fortunate as a community you haven't killed anyone."

Johnson told EnEarl at her preliminary appearance Monday that she drank that day because she was nervous about going to prison.

She was arrested July 31 after a traffic stop in the Gardnerville Ranchos.

Her blood alcohol content was .108, above the legal limit of .08 for driving in Nevada.

She has three prior arrests for driving under the influence dating from April 2001. Prior convictions were reported in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Nevada law mandates prison for a third conviction within seven years.