Chief says drug trafficker not associated with department

The chief of the Central Lyon County Fire Protection District said Wednesday that a convicted drug trafficker who claimed to be a volunteer emergency medical technician in Silver Springs was not associated with the department.

Chief John Gillenwater said Randall Fletcher, 25, underwent preliminary training, "then just disappeared."

He said Fletcher never completed the training or volunteered with the department.

"In this age of government scrutiny, I don't want the public to think we have convicted felons working for us," Gillenwater said. "We have a process to weed out the bad things and make sure we don't allow those folk in. He would have flushed out in our background checks."

Fletcher was sentenced to probation in Douglas District Court on Tuesday after admitting he sold 83 grams of cocaine to an undercover informant.

He was granted probation despite the high amount because he provided help to law enforcement in other drug cases.

In arguing for probation, lawyer Tod Young said Fletcher had turned his life around, including allegedly volunteering for the fire department and returning to his family.

When the drug sales were completed, Fletcher was working as a bouncer at a strip club. The sales took place at a parking lot in north Douglas County.

District Judge David Gamble sentenced Fletcher to seven years in prison with a minimum of two years, suspended, and fined him $2,000. He was ordered to perform 40 hours of community service.