Police allege couple had plan to sell marijuana

The son and daughter-in-law of former county Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates had set themselves up to be marijuana dealers, authorities allege.

Brian Atkinson Turner, 25, and his wife, Kathryn O'Gara, 26, each face a charge of possession of marijuana with intent to sell. They had initially been booked into jail on charges of child endangerment, contributory neglect and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

They were released from jail Wednesday. Police arrested them Tuesday evening at their 3,134-square-foot home in Southern Highlands.

Police went to the house after a motorist called to report a black Mercedes sedan being driven erratically by a woman with a small child unrestrained in the car. The caller followed the Mercedes to Turner and O'Gara's home at 11799 Hugana Place. Las Vegas police arrived at the house and entered through an unlocked door after knocking and getting no answer and hearing a child crying inside, police said. The officers found marijuana and equipment used to grow marijuana inside the home, police said.

Police charged the couple with intent to sell marijuana because of the quantity found in the house and because "the grow operation being set up would have produced far in excess of what someone would use for personal consumption," said officer Bill Cassell, Las Vegas police spokesman.

Police have not said how much marijuana was found at the home.

Child Protective Services took Turner and O'Gara's child, police said.

The county wouldn't comment on the child Wednesday because state law prohibits the county from discussing a child's status unless he or she is killed or seriously wounded, said Christine Skorupski, county spokeswoman.

Turner was arrested twice previously on drug-related charges, which were later dropped.

He and his wife had come under scrutiny earlier this year because of money his mother had paid them from her campaign coffers.

During the 2004 campaign cycle, Atkinson Gates paid them and their company, Advibe Advertising, $407,343 from her campaign funds. In mid-April, authorities said that months earlier an investigation had been launched into whether Atkinson Gates got kickbacks from that money. The status of that investigation was unclear Wednesday night; Cassell said he could not comment on the matter.

Review-Journal writer Francis McCabe contributed to this report.