Nevada Transportation Authority investigator arrested again

The Nevada Transportation Authority agent who was arrested earlier this year was arrested again Wednesday on drug charges.

Robert Reasoner, 36, was arrested at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, on suspicion of felony conspiracy to violate controlled substance act, felony DUI-third offense and felony offer/agree/or arrange to sell a controlled substance after Reasoner allegedly financed and attempted to gain possession of three grams of heroin near the 4500 block of North Carson Street, according to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office. At the scene, it was determined Reasoner had driven there under the influence of narcotics.

He was arrested Feb. 1 for hit and run and open container, both misdemeanor charges. Reasoner was arrested after allegedly hitting a parked Honda CR-V in his state-issued Ford Explorer on John Street on Jan. 5.

In January, witnesses reported to police Reasoner ran from the scene and appeared to be intoxicated. Deputies found business cards with Reasoner’s contact information, two open Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans that were near empty and a citation from a Carson deputy that was issued earlier in the day.

Deputies located Reasoner near the 400 block of Corbett Street more than 90 minutes later. Reports said Reasoner was unstable while walking, appeared to be pale and was slurring his words. He allegedly told officers he had taken a drug called Soma when he got to his mother’s, and he blew a .002 on the PBT.

Reasoner was out on bail at the time of his second arrest.

Reasoner has been a supervisory compliance enforcement investigator with the Nevada Transportation Authority since 2013 and was a compliance enforcement investigator for five years before that. It was discovered Reasoner had two reckless driving convictions in Washoe County, in 2006 and 2011, and a DUI in Sparks in 2016, according to court records.

The hit and run arrest sparked an agency-wide investigation into the management and policies within the Nevada Transportation Authority by Department of Business and Industry Director Bruce Breslow. When Reasoner was first arrested, Breslow said he was appalled by the information surrounding the hit and run incident and past criminal history of Reasoner.

It was unknown whether Reasoner disclosed his criminal history when starting the job with the Transportation Authority, or exactly what the agency’s policies were regarding such incidents.

According to the Nevada Department of Administration NAC 284.321, “any applicant who has a record of a criminal conviction as an adult shall so indicate on his or her application. The application must be accompanied by a complete explanation of the conviction. The failure of the applicant to authorize the release of the information which relates to the conviction of a crime is cause for rejection of the applicant.”

“The NTA and Department of Business and Industry are working to strengthen the agency’s policies further and will require driving record and background checks annually for investigative officers going forward,” Breslow said in a statement to the Nevada Appeal.

In the wake of the investigation, two leaders within the agency were fired; chief transportation inspector and Reasoner’s supervisor Michael Bradford and deputy commissioner Chris Schneider. Breslow said Schneider’s termination was not directly related to the Reasoner case.

“Personnel changes at the NTA, effective Feb. 15, were made to improve and strengthen the agency going forward and help ensure the safety of the traveling public,” Breslow said. “The replacement of Chris Schneider is a separate matter not directly involved in the Reasoner case. The change was made to strengthen NTA’s leadership for the future and to help ensure the safety of the traveling public.”

Reasoner was placed on administrative leave Jan. 6 pending the investigation by the Department of Public Safety into his current and past criminal incidents.

Bail has been set at $60,000.