Man accused in graffiti waives hearing

An accused graffiti artist, who allegedly gave deputies the wrong name, waived his preliminary hearing last week and is scheduled to appear in Douglas County District Court on March 7.

Rafael Daniel Chapa Jr., 22, is in custody on multiple counts after his Feb. 2 arrest in Gardnerville where deputies reported finding several blue spray paint can caps in his vehicle, along with other things.

He appeared in East Fork Justice Court in custody with attorney Brian Filter.

That traffic stop came three days after deputies responded to several instances of graffiti in Carson Valley, including on both sides of Lutheran Bridge.

Under an agreement with prosecutors, Chapa will admit to felony obtaining the identity of another person to avoid prosecution and several misdemeanors, in exchange for the sentences on the misdemeanors running at the same time. In the felony, prosecutors are free to argue for any lawful sentence.

Chapa could still decide to deny the charge in district court if he decides to reject the deal.

An 81-year-old Gardnerville Ranchos man is facing a felony charge of lewdness with a child under the age of 14.

Frederick A. Schinzing was booked on Feb. 15 in connection with an incident that occurred over the course of a decade but came to light last December.

Schinzing is represented by attorney Max Stovall. 

• A South Lake Tahoe man is facing several felonies after a Feb. 20 traffic stop revealed he had eight credit cards and five drivers’ licenses that didn’t belong to him, according to court documents.

South Lake Tahoe resident Devin Thomas Nestroyal, 27, was pulled over at around 6 a.m. after a motorist spotted the Cadillac he was driving wandering in the road. 

Nestroyal was wanted on a felony warrant for possession of a credit card without the owner’s permission that was issued out of East Fork Justice Court. According to court documents, deputies also allegedly found .8 grams of methamphetamine and a .22 handgun, which Nestroyal wasn’t supposed to have because he’s a convicted felon.

He was scheduled to appear in Tahoe Township Justice Court on Tuesday, according to jail records.

• A woman, who has been in custody since Dec. 3, racked up new charges on Feb. 19 when she fought with jail deputies.

April Renee Howe, 36, was serving a jail sentence when she started banging on her cell. She kicked a deputy while they were trying to calm her down.

She is scheduled to appear in East Fork Justice Court on March 9.

• A long-time Johnson Lane resident who is awaiting sentencing on multiple drug felonies was found to have violated conditions of a 2018 misdemeanor sentence.

Robert Vieth Wilson, 67, has been in custody since he was convicted by a jury of nine felonies on Oct. 28.

Wilson admitted to possession of a drug not to be introduced into interstate commerce before his 2019 arrest because he had too many marijuana plants. He was ordered not to break any laws or face six months in jail.

“He not only failed to comply, but he committed nine new felonies,” Prosecutor Matthew Johnson said. “He actually ramped up his marijuana production and started selling methamphetamine and psilocybin mushrooms.”

Johnson sought the imposition of the original 180-day sentence with credit for 180 days in custody.

Attorney Christopher Day asked East Fork Justice of the Peace Pro Tem Paul Gilbert to sentence Wilson to one day and give him credit for time served.

Gilbert, who disclosed he went to school with Wilson, split the difference and gave him 30 days and credit for all that time served, closing out the case.

Wilson is scheduled to appear for sentencing on April 11. He intends to appeal his jury conviction but must be sentenced first.