Several charges were dropped Wednesday in a drug distribution case working its way through Lyon County District Court.
Judge Merlin Wheeler dropped the two drug distribution counts — one each for marijuana and methamphetamine — against Alejandro Lara-Ceja. Prosecutors then moved to consolidate six counts, all of Lara-Ceja being a felon in possession of a weapon, into one charge.
Of the 13 counts originally filed, five are moving forward, including flee and elude, possession of drug paraphernalia, felon in possession of a firearm and interference with law enforcement.
Charges follow an alleged incident in late November 2023. Documents posted to the District Court Public Access Portal do not indicate why the charges were dropped.
Lara-Ceja’s next hearing in this case is pretrial and arraignment May 2.
Separately, trial has been averted in another Lyon County drug distribution case.
Trial was on the docket as soon as next week in the case against Brent Michael Barry, but he pleaded no contest to a charge of possessing drug paraphernalia during a status hearing Wednesday. Barry had been charged with distributing up to 450 grams of marijuana following an alleged incident in September 2023, as well as possession of paraphernalia with intent to manufacture, plant or cultivate a controlled substance and possession of stolen property. The remaining counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Sentencing in Barry’s case is set for May 20.
