Laptop robber faces 30 years in prison

A man, who admitted Tuesday to robbing the Best Buy, said he showed his pistol when he was confronted by a salesclerk as he was walking out with two stolen laptops.

Benjamin Julia Ayuso Calderon, 47, appeared in Douglas County District Court escorted by correctional officers.

Calderon faces up to 30 years in prison between the robbery charge and an enhancement for using a firearm.

He is not eligible for probation. In exchange for his plea, charges in Reno will be dropped and Douglas won’t pursue any additional charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16.

Calderon was one of three men arrested in Reno after the robbery after being stopped by the Nevada Highway Patrol.

• A Pennsylvania woman, who was arrested with a big bag of marijuana in August 2021, received a suspended 12-30-month prison sentence on Tuesday.

Xiuru Lin, 47, was ordered to forfeit the $883 that was seized along with more than 64 pounds of marijuana.

She pleaded guilty to transportation of a controlled substance.

A Mandarin translator was required to conduct Tuesday’s sentencing hearing.

She was stopped for speeding on Dresslerville Road and claimed the big black bag under a blanket in the front passenger seat was her vacation clothes. During a search it was determined to be 15 individually wrapped bags of marijuana.

The following month a raid was conducted on an illegal pot grow located in Cedar Flat that was allegedly being operated by Chinese nationals.

• A Lake Tahoe man received consecutive suspended four-year sentences on Tuesday.

Thomas Andrew Pedroli, 37, was ordered to reimburse the owner of tools he stole $1,696.33 in addition to the 19-48-month sentence for attempted grand larceny.

While acknowledging there was a second person involved with the theft, that person has yet to be convicted, so that means Pedroli is entirely responsible for making the restitution in the July 27, 2022, theft.

“I understand you have an addiction, but that doesn’t mean you get to be a thief,” District Judge Tod Young said. “You owe this money. Every dime.”

Pedroli and a woman identified in a warrant as Sacramento resident Angelina Grider, 24, appeared in an August Secret Wit-ness photo walking away with the bag full of tools.

Pedroli also received 19-48 months for possession of a controlled substance.

He has been convicted of four felonies, including one for possession of a controlled substance in Douglas County.

• A Carson City woman was ordered to serve 30 days in jail on Tuesday after she admitted to violating her probation by us-ing marijuana and methamphetamine.

Anita Raya admitted to a technical violation, which could be punished by a maximum of 30 days.

She had already done 20 days and will be released after another 10 days.

Raya received a suspended 19-48 month sentence for possession of a controlled substance in December.