Business charged in $12,000 pot bust

After watching him for three hours Thursday, police arrested a Carson City business owner on suspicion of possessing marijuana valued at $12,000.

Joel Parra, 34, owner of both Boges Shoe Repair and Zapateria Morelos in the 1500 block of East Fifth Street, was taken into custody after members of the Tri-Net Drug Task Force, acting on an anonymous tip, spotted an employee repeatedly leaving the rear of the business and removing blocks of suspected marijuana from a vehicle signed over to Parra.

The tipster said Parra was expected to have a large quantity of drugs to replace because he recently had drugs taken from him, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Officers were called to search Parra's business. He is on probation from a drug conviction in February when police arrested him in connection with a Tri-Net sting.

Police said Parra would have completed his yearlong probation Saturday.

Carson City Sheriff's Department drug dog Tahoe and handler Brian Humphrey found from 4 to 6 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle.

In a related traffic stop, police said they found 3.25 ounces of methamphetamine, worth about $4,000, in the possession of Ameil Williams, 31, after he left Parra's business while it was under surveillance, a sheriff's spokesman said.