Man gets life in prison on drug charge

A Carson City man could spend the rest of his life in prison on drug trafficking charges after being sentenced Tuesday.

Robert Nadon, 34, must serve at least 10 years of a life sentence before being eligible for parole on a charge of level-one trafficking of methamphetamine. Judge Bill Maddox additionally sentenced Nadon to 13 to 60 months in prison on a charge of level-two trafficking. Between the two charges, Nadon sold more than 55 grams of methamphetamine to a police informant. His co-defendant, Guillermo Beltran, who has no prior felonies, was given a sentence of 10 to 25 years in prison on one count of principal to trafficking.

Despite Nadon's plea for leniency, Maddox found the five-time felon had ample opportunity to change his life.

"I believe the jury returned the appropriate verdict. You basically have been committing crimes almost without fail since 1986," Maddox said. "You don't seem inclined to change."

Maddox also disagreed with Nadon's wife's assertion that her husband received poor representation by his court-appointed attorney, Kay Ellen Armstrong.

"This business about Ms. Armstrong not representing you very well, and you would have had better representation if you paid for it is - excuse my language - bull****," Maddox said.

Nadon became the target of a Tri-Net Drug Taskforce investigation while he was on probation for a charge of failing to register as a sex-offender.

The judge released Nadon from custody after he broke both his heels jumping from the second story of the special-needs unit.

The arrest on the trafficking charge caused him to violate his probation, and Nadon must serve 12 to 34 months in prison for failing to register before he can begin serving the trafficking sentences.

In 2004, Nadon was a questioned in the disappearance of a Carson City man and was a suspect in the theft of guns from his father-in-law's home.

Though charges against him were ultimately dismissed in the gun-theft case, a friend told investigators Nadon boasted about seeing John Bragg walking through Washoe Valley and "I got lucky and took care of him."

When questioned, Nadon denied knowledge of Bragg's whereabouts.

Bragg, 30, a father of four, was last seen walking north on Graves Lane on the afternoon of Sept. 23, 2004.

Carson Sheriff's Detective Cate Summers said Bragg had a discussion with his Carson City employer before leaving the business earlier that day. He has not been in contact with his parents, children or friends since.

Nadon is married to Bragg's ex wife.

• Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.