Man accepts plea in cocaine case
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
A 43-year-old man pleaded guilty Tuesday in Routt County District Court to possessing less than 1 gram of cocaine as part of a deal reached with prosecutors.
Emilio Castillo, also known as Edmundo Portillo, of Steamboat Springs, pleaded guilty to possessing less than 1 gram of a Schedule 2 substance, a Class 6 felony. A charge of intent to distribute cocaine and five traffic charges were dropped as part of the agreement.
A 30-year-old Denver man pleaded not guilty in Routt County District Court on Tuesday to two counts of possession of methamphetamine and possession of a forgery device. Jamison Todd Fjoser and Bryanna Mitts, 19, were arrested in March on suspicion of manufacturing, distributing and possessing methamphetamine. Police officers found 11 grams of crystal meth, two syringes full of liquid meth and leftover chemicals from making meth during a search of Fjoser's vehicle. Officers also found dozens of driver's licenses, ATM cards, signed checks, birth certificates and receipts from other people's credit cards. Additionally, officers confiscated a laptop computer, a scanner and lamination equipment commonly used to make fake IDs. Public defender Trevor McFee, who is representing Fjoser, told District Judge Paul McLimans that he was not been able to reach a plea agreement in the case with Assistant District Attorney Kerry St. James, and he requested that the case be set for trial. After accepting Fjoser's not guilty plea, McLimans scheduled the two-day trial for March 20 and 21. Mitts, the co-defendant in the case, is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday on the meth and forgery device possession charges she faces. -- Pilot & Today staff
Castillo was pulled over Sept. 13 on U.S. Highway 40 near Milner because he was driving off the shoulder of the road, Undersheriff Dan Taylor said.
During a routine search of Castillo's car, the deputy who arrested Castillo found 23 1/2 grams of cocaine, as well as an open container of alcohol and drug paraphernalia. Taylor also said the deputy could smell alcohol on the man's breath.
Castillo could face as many as 18 months in jail and a $100,000 fine when he is sentenced at 1 p.m. Dec. 6.
District Judge Paul McLim--ans also told Castillo that he will be placed under one-year mandatory probation and be required to do 48 hours of community service. Castillo also will pay a $750 drug fine and lose his driver's license for 90 days.
Castillo is known to have at least two other outstanding drug-related arrest warrants from Castle Rock and Adams County. Castillo is known to have as many as 17 aliases.
Larry Combs, Castillo's attorney, interpreted for his client during Tuesday's appearance.
-- To reach Alexis DeLaCruz, call 871-4234
or e-mail adelacruz@steamboatpilot.com
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