Charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm were dismissed recently against a Carson City man because he isn't a felon and there was never actually a weapon, an official confirmed Friday.
Rigoberto Vega-Aguilar, 30, said Friday that he is continually being harassed by the police, and that his latest arrest, on June 30, was a perfect example.
"Why would the sheriff's department charge me with a weapon when there was no weapon in the house?" he said. "I can legally carry a weapon. I'm not an ex-felon."
Assistant District Attorney Gerald Gardner explained that when Vega-Aguilar was arrested with four others on Brown Street, officers found two .45-caliber magazines during a search of a home.
Gardner said although there is a law prohibiting the sale of ammunition to a felon, it is not illegal for a felon to possess ammunition.
According to the arrest report, officers ran a background check on all involved in the June 30 incident, and Vega-Aguilar and two others came back as having felony records. But Vega-Aguilar contends he does not have a felony conviction - and Gardner couldn't disagree.
"We don't have any records of him ever being convicted of a felony," said Gardner.
Vega-Aguilar is known to law enforcement because of various arrests, all of which have been dismissed or reduced to misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors, including the 2001 and 2004 shootings of two brothers.
Vega-Aguilar on Friday described his involvement in the 2001 shooting as self-defense because, he said, he was jumped by 15 people. He denied being involved in the 2004 incident, or any subsequent incidents.
He said his repeated arrests have caused him to lose jobs.
"I just want the truth to be told," he said, noting he's lived in Carson City for 25 years. "I don't think I'm asking for a lot."