Joseph Alas
An innocent plea was entered on behalf of a man facing felonies for drug offenses and battery by a prisoner.
Joseph Phillip Alas, 35, has been in custody since October on the drug felonies and was involved with an altercation with another jail inmate over Christmas.
District Judge Tod Young pointed out on Tuesday that Alas has yet to be arraigned in the case and set a Jan. 28 hearing to schedule a trial or to hear a plea agreement.
Alas is being held after he failed to appear in court on July 9, 2024, resulting in his October arrest. He claimed that he had proof he was in the Zoom waiting room trying to attend virtually, though he wasn’t authorized to do so.
Alas has been seeking his release from custody since his arrest.
“I’m just trying to get out of here and see my son,” he said.
Alas was initially arrested Dec. 29, 2023, after a traffic stop at Lake Tahoe, where deputies allegedly found 80 grams of methamphetamine.
He is facing charges of high-level possession of a controlled substance and concentrated cannabis, in addition to the altercation in the jail.
Defense attorney Mary Brown was allowed to withdraw from representing Alas. He was represented by Max Stovall at Tuesday's hearing.
• A California woman admitted on Tuesday to felony possession of stolen property in connection with the theft of a $25,000 engagement ring she was wearing when detained in Idaho.
Rebekah Yushi Ramos, 34, also entered a no contest plea to a count of gross misdemeanor conspiracy related to her claim that a former acquaintance was one of two men involved in a Jan. 8, 2023, vehicle burglary at a Stateline casino.
Under an agreement, prosecutors won’t oppose probation. The felony carries 1-5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The gross misdemeanor is punishable by a maximum of 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
Ramos appeared virtually on Tuesday after she was granted permission from Young. She was ordered to be in court for her March 11 sentencing.
The man she claimed was at the scene of the theft from a vehicle in a casino parking garage at Stateline has also been observing the case remotely.
Ramos was contacted by Idaho police after one of her trio was found dead in a river. Ryan William Nicholas, 30, is reportedly still being sought by authorities, who took possession of the ring, which was returned to the owner.
• A Gardnerville man’s probation was modified to include an inpatient treatment program after he admitted several violations.
Jacob Matthew Olivo Wilson, 22, could have received a 30-day sanction for the first violation. If he had one more violation the suspended 19-48-month sentence for assault with a deadly weapon could be imposed.
He had already done the 30 days since his arrest on Nov. 12, 2024, but because of his drug issues, his attorney suggested he be released to a treatment program.
Olivo Wilson admitted to trying to force a vehicle containing his former girlfriend off the road in a June 22, 2023, road rage incident.
• A woman awaiting sentencing on a charge of burglary of a business admitted she’d used methamphetamine while out of custody.
Brandee Lynn Passey, 33, tested positive for the drug while under supervision.
Attorney Matthew Ence sought her release on her own recognizance pending sentencing after she’d been in jail since Dec. 26.
Prosecutor Bill Murphy said she’d had two prior felonies and seven misdemeanors, which could prevent her from seeking diversion.
“I don’t think we’re doing her any favors by letting her out,” Murphy said.
The judge was more direct.
“You are working on killing yourself,” Young said. “You told parole and probation that you were using heroin daily. You will stay in custody until sentencing, so I know you’ll be alive on Jan. 28.”
Passey admitted to one count of burglary of a business in connection with an Oct. 5, 2024, theft at the Petco in Carson Valley Plaza. She faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine at her sentencing.
