Five arrested in drug bust

Five area residents were arrested today in connection with a six-week long investigation conducted by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Street Enforcement Team.

Arrested were Scott Fonger, 46, Cory Doan, 34, Samuel Want, 37, Bradley Bullion, 45, all of Gardnerville and Twila Leeling, 43, of Carson City.

All five are being held on trafficking charges. Doan, Want, Bullion, and Leeling are being held in lieu of $25,000 cash bail. Fonger is being held in lieu of $30,000 bail. He faces additional charges of sales of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic device.

All five are being held in Douglas County Jail, according to Sgt. Tom Mezzetta of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

According to Mezzetta the enforcement team conducted several purchases of methamphetamine. During one of the purchases, a suspect was armed. Some of the transactions took place within 1,000 feet of Lampe Park, which may lead to a higher penalty upon conviction.

In all, investigators purchased 83.2 grams of methamphetamine with a street value of $8,000. At least one of the sales involved more than 28 grams, which is the amount at which sales becomes trafficking. A conviction for trafficking carries with it the possibility of a life prison sentence with possibility of parole after 10 years or a prison term of 25 years with eligibility for parole after 10 years and a fine of not more than $500,000.

"Sheriff Ron Pierini is steadfast in his commitment to end the scourge of addiction in our community," Mezzetta said. "The sheriff's office seeks to accomplish this through education and prevention instruction or our youth. For those who have fallen to addiction, the sheriff's office can provide direction to the medical profesionals who will work with those seeking to free themselves from addiction. Lastly, the sheriff's office will aggressively pursue, arrest and prosecute those who choose to continue to abuse controlled substances. Addiction negatively impacts entire communities and families as well as the individual abuser and it will not be tolerated."