Items seized by Nye County authorities in connection with the investigation.
Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010 | 7:39 a.m.
The Nye County Sheriff's Office arrested five people in connection with the Saturday home invasion and robbery of the county's public administrator and his family.
Dylan Wade Spellman, 19, Jamie Ann Sexton, 22, Joshua J. Cotton, 21, and Jemere Reid, 22, face a variety of charges: robbery with a deadly weapon with injury, battery with intent to commit robbery, three counts of first-degree kidnapping with a deadly weapon, three counts false imprisonment with a deadly weapon, grand larceny, burglary, home invasion with a deadly weapon, transfer of stolen property, conspiracy to commit robbery, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, destroying evidence, child endangerment with a deadly weapon and intimidation of a public official.
The fifth suspect — 42-year-old Nicholas James Willing — was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. Each of the suspects is from Pahrump.
Officials said the plan for the alleged home invasion and robbery originated when Willing, a Nye County employee disgruntled with public administrator Robert Jones, spoke to the other suspects about Jones' home and property within it.
Spellman, Sexton, Cotton and Reid allegedly entered Jones' home and ordered his wife and daughter to the ground Saturday night with a shotgun and handgun, authorities said.
They are accused of attacking Jones, tying him up with rope and forcing the family around the house during the alleged robbery, making it clear they were aware of Jones' role in the county, officials said.
They allegedly forced the family into a closet before fleeing the home with money, including silver half-dollars and other property, officials said.
A tip from an employee at Albertsons on Monday led authorities to the suspects. The employee reported seeing a man and woman trying to cash almost 1,000 silver half-dollars at the grocery store.
Surveillance video from the store confirmed the individuals matched the description of two of the "ring leaders" during the alleged home invasion and robbery, officials said.
A sheriff's office school resource officer identified the two people as Spellman and Sexton. Officers arrested Spellman and Sexton during a traffic stop at Basin Avenue and Kim Court in Pahrump.
During the investigation, detectives determined Reid and Cotton were the other suspects allegedly involved in the home invasion and robbery.
Cotton initially tried to flee when deputies arrived at his home, but deputies convinced him to surrender, officials said. At his home, detectives found narcotics and money, which he allegedly admitted was part of the stolen money.
Reid also was arrested at his home, where detectives found narcotics, stolen firearms, firearms used in the alleged robbery and money he allegedly admitted was taken during the robbery, officials said.
A search warrant executed at Sexton and Spellman's home also revealed more evidence from the alleged robbery, officials said.
Authorities believe the suspects returned to Reid's residence after the home invasion and robbery to burn evidence, but officials said they recovered most of the property stolen during the alleged crimes.
The suspects were taken to the Nye County Detention Center, where all except Willing are being held.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact detectives at (775) 751-7000 or [email protected].
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