Probation revoke sends woman to state prison

Tonopah resident Ashley Dugan was sent to state prison for 19 months to four years Jan. 12 for violating parole on a drug arrest made nearly a year ago.

Dugan, the daughter of Nye County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Rick Dugan, was sentenced in Fifth Judicial District Court by Judge Robert Lane.

Dugan had entered a guilty plea Sept. 17 to a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance, and given suspended sentence and five years probation.

Assistant District Attorney John Friel, who prosecuted the case, said in an email that Dugan pled guilty to the drug charges and her probation was revoked because of new criminal charges. Dugan also admitted during the January hearing she was still using drugs.

Dugan was arrested in Tonopah on Feb. 27, 2014 when deputies served a search warrant on a residence on Siebert Mountain Court regarding unknown quantities of controlled substances and suspected drug paraphernalia.

According to the arrest report, when Nye County Sheriff’s deputies knocked and announced their presence at the Tonpah address, no one answered so deputies entered the home, again announcing their presence with no response.

One deputy made contact with a male identified as Timothy Smith who was coming towards the door. The deputy handed Smith the search warrant and observed two people coming out of the master bedroom who were subsequently identified as Ashley Dugan and Anthony Miller.

Deputies noted that there was an 18-month-old child in one of the bedrooms in the residence.

As deputies began their search they reportedly found scales with a white powder residue, several glass pipes, small sheets of foil with pills, pipes and residue, a black case with two large rocks. The two large rocks of suspected methamphetamine weighed approximately 41 grams.

Deputies additionally located multiple small bags of a white crystalline substance and bags for packaging.

When deputies searched the master bedroom, they reportedly found two mirrors with a razor blade, a glass pipe and lines of a white powdery substance on the mirrors along with a propane torch and a Money Pac card with a white powdery substance. Deputies also located a bag in the living room that contained two scales and small bags.

Smith reportedly told deputies that everything in the bedroom and the master bedroom was his. Smith explained that he laid everything out on the bed to get rid of it and then he was going to move out of town.

Child Protective Services was notified and the child was released to another family member.

Dugan and Smith were subsequently arrested and transported to the Nye County Detention Center and booked on charges of trafficking in a schedule two controlled substance 28 – 200 grams, possession with intent to sell, operating a place for sale or gift, use of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to Friel, Smith pled guilty to drug trafficking and was sentenced to prison, and Miller was not charged.