Carson City drug ring members enter guilty and no contest pleas in court

Six of the individuals involved in a major drug bust in March entered guilty or no contest pleas in District Court Monday.

Elvin Fred, Tawnee Johnson, James Tito, Michelle Rendleman, Aaron Jalbert and Christopher Landry were all arrested after Tri-Net Narcotics Task Force raided a house on the 3500 block of Desatoya Drive in early March. Authorities seized nearly 11 ounces of methamphetamine with a street value of more than $30,000.

Fred pleaded guilty to trafficking 28 grams of more, a category A felony, a charge that holds a possibility of life with parole. Fred signed a deal that if he plead to the trafficking charge, Johnson, his partner, would have her trafficking charges dismissed. He is scheduled to be sentenced August 24.

Johnson, Rendleman, Jalbert and Landry all entered no contest pleas to counts of conspiracy to violate the uniform controlled substance act, which holds a possible sentence of 12-60 months in prison. A no contest plea is one where the defendant doesn’t assume guilt but does believe that there may be sufficient evidence to for a guilty conviction in a trial.

Landry and Johnson are scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 31 and Jalbert and Rendleman are scheduled for September 8.

The last member of the ring, Tito was granted a continuance and is scheduled to be arraigned on July 13.