A major heroin bust sent six people to jail on Veterans Day.
Dorothea Chute, 45, was taken into custody Monday evening around 6:15 p.m. on multiple felony drug possession charges. She was also charged with eight counts of possessing credit cards without consent and obtaining personal information of another for unlawful purpose.
The Nye County Sheriff’s Office SCORPION task force allegedly learned the woman had heroin for sale and watched her conduct an alleged drug transaction in a local grocery store parking lot.
According to police, the task force witnessed Chute sell a male subject 56 grams, or two ounces, of heroin and .2 grams of methamphetamine in the Smith’s parking lot on State Route 160.
After the transaction was finished, the task force stopped and detained Chute and an accomplice for questioning.
After Chute was arrested, officers allegedly found additional heroin and other illegal substances in her purse as well.
According to police, deputies found a prescription bottle with the name and information scratched out containing 34 Clonazapam pills. Then opened a black bag in the purse and allegedly found another 57 grams, or another two ounces, of heroin, 12 grams of methamphetamine, four “dubs” or .2 gram-sized bags of heroin packaged for sale, multiple hypodermic devices, multiple glass pipes, two digital scales, a torch-type lighter, plastic baggies used in packaging narcotics, a prescription bottle not prescribed to Chute containing one Lorazapam pill and another 46 pills of Clonazapam packaged for sale.
Police weren’t done there. They found an assortment of dozens of other miscellaneous prescription pills as well as eight different credit, EBT, and debit cards in the names of other people. A New Mexico woman’s driver’s license and a male’s social security card were also found.
A report from the sheriff’s office notes one of the credit cards allegedly found in Chute’s purse matched the name on the New Mexico driver’s license.
As deputies prepared to transport Chute to the Nye County Detention Center, she reportedly asked if she could call someone to come pick up her 9-year-old son, whom she had brought with her to the alleged drug deal.
Police said she explained the child was in a nearby vehicle with two other individuals who had come along with her as well. Those two suspects fled with the child after officers detained Chute, but a male subject was reported to have later brought the boy back to deputies at the scene.
An additional suspect by the name of Kama Morris may also be facing charges of conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substance Act in connection to this incident, but she was not arrested at the time.
In addition to this operation, the NCSO also reportedly obtained three search warrants for residences located at 840 East Manse Road, 1381 East Bourbon Street apartment A and 2381 Turtle Street to look for narcotics operations as well.
Abel Murguia-Arambula, 26, Ben Crawford, 38, Michael Fantauzzo, 22, Taylor Gordon, 20, and Destiny Slisz, 32, were also taken into custody after they were allegedly discovered to be involved in the illegal drug trade.
Sheriff Tony DeMeo along with members of the NCSO SWAT team and Predator task force were able to seize firearms and what they say was trafficking levels of heroin from the addresses, which were allegedly being used to maintain and promote the use and sales of narcotics.
Murguia-Arambula and Crawford, in addition to other charges, were arrested on charges of sales of heroin, possession of a controlled substance and ex-felon in possession of a firearm and Murguia-Arambula alone was charged with low level heroin trafficking, possession of heroin with intent to sell and child endangerment.
As of Thursday morning Chute, Murguia-Arambula, Crawford and Gordon all remained in police custody. Fantauzzo and Slisz were reportedly released. Police were still seeking Morris.