Topaz Lodge check kiter goes to prison

A woman convicted last year in connection with a bad check ring that targeted the Topaz Lodge in early 2020 was ordered to prison on Monday after she absconded from probation.

Lily Marie Hoyle, 35, was ordered to serve 12-30 months after she admitted that she didn’t attempt to repay $1,400 to the Lodge or do much else.

District Judge Tom Gregory said one of the reasons he gave her probation was to make the victims whole.

The check-kiting ring cost the Lodge $30,000 and resulted in five people being charged.

The case came to light on Jan. 19, 2020, when deputies responded to a report that someone was passing a large number of bad checks at the south county casino.

• A man serving a prison sentence for grand larceny had his probation for possession of methamphetamine revoked on April 25.

Jerady Joseph Smith, 32, appeared with a prison escort to admit that he violated his probation by violating the law.

Smith, 32, added Douglas to the list of jurisdictions he has been committed to prison from, that includes Lyon, Washoe, Mineral and Washoe counties.

He was arrested in Douglas County during one of his brief stints of freedom on April 28, 2021, while he was on parole for possession of a controlled substance in Mineral County. He was convicted of grand larceny in Churchill County for possession of stolen catalytic converters in the meantime, prompting his current incarceration.

His last parole board hearing was July 7, 2022, according to the Nevada Department of Corrections.

Under the law the judge was required to sentence him to concurrent sentences.

He was sentenced to 1-3 years in prison for possession of 5 grams of methamphetamine.

• The passenger in a March 7, 2022, high speed pursuit avoided prison on Monday when she was ordered to participate in Western Nevada Regional Drug Court.

Jessica Lynn Demarco, 22, admitted to felony possession of a controlled substance and gross misdemeanor possession of burglary tools.

Demarco was in a stolen Toyota Highlander driven by Donald Earl Robertson from Topsy Lane north, running red lights and reaching speeds of up to 100 mph.

He was sentenced to 12-36 months in July 2022 and given credit for 127 days. He is ordered to pay $4,386 in restitution.

DeMarco didn’t turn up for arraignment and a warrant was issued for her arrest. When she was taken into custody on April 15, she had oxycodone in her possession.

She said that she was a daily user of methamphetamine and fentanyl and would benefit from the drug court program.

She was sentenced to 180 days in jail with 170 suspended and 10 days counted as time served. She also received 12 days in jail for contempt.

She will remain in custody until she’s seen by the drug court judge.

• A Walker man is in danger of losing his diversion after he tested positive for methamphetamine after telling the judge he’d test clean.

Ryan James Hannah has been difficult to supervise while attempting to avoid conviction of a felony for drug possession. He was ordered to jail for four days for contempt on Tuesday after he lied to the judge.

“He admits he’s an addict,” Attorney Nadine Morton said.

She said Hannah used drugs with an ex-girlfriend.

Prosecutor Erik Levin said he had zero confidence that Hannah would succeed on diversion and asked that the case be set for sentencing.

• A man who served a prison sentence for trying to bribe a Douglas County deputy is in federal custody denying he groped a woman on an airplane.

Ryan Alexander Manuella, 30, denied the charge stemming from an April 16, 2021, arrest by federal authorities.

At the time he was the subject of a warrant issued in connection with a April 22, 2020, domestic battery. He was paroled in April 2022 after serving a 12-30-month sentence.