SPECIAL TO THE PVTThese foil-wrapped cubes of LSD didn?t stay hidden for long inside the fake beverage can. The detachable base rests at left. SPECIAL TO THE PVTNye County K-9 Dep. Derek rests next to 20 pounds of marijuana found in the trunk of a car pulled over for minor traffic violations in Beatty. Advertisement

20 pounds of pot in Beatty

BEATTY-- Moises I. Jimenez, 19, was arrested Tuesday, July 29 after getting caught driving with 20 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of his car.

The red, four-door Pontiac Jimenez drove was initially pulled over by Nye County Sheriff's Office Dep. Daniel Pineau on Highway 95 near mile marker 60 and 2nd Street for the relatively innocuous traffic violations of daytime headlights and running a stop sign.

The deputy, however, "noticed indicators of criminal activity," according to the sheriff's office press release.

Pineau, who was on patrol with his K-9 partner Dep. Derek, received consent to search the vehicle and located 20 pounds of marijuana inside the trunk.

The marijuana was estimated to have a wholesale value of $8,000 to $10,000 and a retail value of $35,000 to $40,000.

Jimenez was arrested and booked on charges of failure to yield to a stop sign, one count of having daytime headlights, and the felony charge of possession of marijuana.

His bail was set at $5,374.

Prostitution attempt leads to arrests

Prostitution may be legal in Nye County but only within the very strictly regulated confines of the brothels outside of town.

Charlesetta R. Hicks, 29, was arrested and booked on numerous charges when the Las Vegas resident attempted to ply her illicit trade here in Pahrump.

Hicks contacted the Nye County Sheriff's Office August 10 at 6 a.m. from Terrible's Country Store and reported that she had been sexually assaulted.

When deputies made contact with Hicks, she reportedly admitted to being a prostitute from Las Vegas.

According to the sheriff's office press release, she told the officers she had been picked up by an unknown male in Las Vegas for the purposes of having sex.

Hicks then told deputies the male took her to Pahrump to an unknown residence where he allegedly refused to pay her and then forcibly had sex with her.

During the interview, detectives noticed Hicks seemed to be under the influence of a controlled substance.

She reportedly admitted to the investigating detectives she had smoked crack just prior to the alleged sexual assault.

In addition, deputies reportedly found she was in possession of a crack pipe.

The sheriff's office reported that during subsequent interviews, "Hicks stated that the reason she reported she was sexually assaulted was because she had not been paid and did not get a ride back to Las Vegas," the sheriff's office stated.

"Hicks stated that it would not have been sexual assault if he had paid her," the press release continues. Hicks found herself getting arrested and booked on charges of prostitution, false report of a crime, being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Her bail was set at $6,896.

Meanwhile, sheriff's office detectives were able to locate and identify the man who picked Hicks up as Leslie Villa, also 29.

"Villa stated that he had not paid Hicks and had not given her a ride back and confirmed that he had just dropped her off at the gas station," the press release stated.

He was subsequently arrested and booked on charges of soliciting prostitution and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Villa's bail was set at $10,632.

Both remain in custody at the Nye County Detention Center pending bail.

"Ice cubes" lead to two arrests

Richard A. Mandarino, 29, and Armando F. Duran Jr., 24, were arrested Sunday, August 3 and booked on drug trafficking charges.

Nye County Sheriff's Office Dep. Jason Hunt initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle Mandarino was driving for not having a license plate in the area of Manse and Hafen Ranch roads.

Mandarino was asked to exit the vehicle while Duran, the passenger, remained inside the car.

Mandarino gave Dep. John Bergstrom, also on scene, permission to search the vehicle.

On the front passenger floorboard, where Duran was sitting, deputies noticed a red and white cooler and had seen the passenger allegedly reaching into it during the first part of the traffic stop.

When the cooler was searched, the deputies found foil-wrapped cubes of LSD (appropriately enough sometimes called "ice cubes").

Due to the amount of narcotics found, sheriff's office Sgt. Jackson was also called to the scene.

Neither Mandarino or Duran claimed the contents of the cooler, but "since it was in the immediate area of both individuals both were arrested," the sheriff's office press release said.

Mandarino allegedly fought against deputies when they attempted to put hand restraints on him, but "after a brief struggle" he was successfully handcuffed.

Mandarino was booked on charges of resisting a peace officer and trafficking a controlled substance.

His bail was set at $10,632.

Duran was booked on a single charge of trafficking a controlled substance and his bail was set at $10,000.