Craigslist ad leads to arrest of two South Lake Tahoe men

Members of the Western El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team (WENET) arrested two South lake Tahoe men on Thursday, April 30 after a week long investigation into circumstances surrounding a Craigslist ad.

David Anthony Reading of South Lake Tahoe responded to the ad of a motorcycle for sale on the west slope of El Dorado County. A county resident posted the ad and was contacted by Reading who offered the seller illegal narcotics as payment for the motorcycle.

The concerned citizen contacted the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

A narcotics investigator began communicating with Reading and they agreed to meet and purchase the motorcycle using illegal narcotics as payment.

WENET officers were staged at the pre-determined meeting location and watched as Reading arrived and met with undercover investigator. Once Reading offered and showed the investigator the illegal narcotics he was going to use as payment, he was taken into custody without incident.

The investigation uncovered a South Lake Tahoe residence where Reading had been staying. When investigators arrived at the home in the 2000 block of Marshall Trail, they contacted Colin Blaine who was detained while investigators obtained a search warrant.

During the ensuing search of the home they located approximately 40 pounds of processed cannabis, an indoor marijuana growing operation and an active butane honey oil lab. Blaine was taken into custody without incident. The confiscated marijuana has an estimated street value of approximately $60,000.

Both Reading and Blaine were transported and booked into the El Dorado County Jail in South Lake Tahoe.

Lt. Bryan Golmitz of the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department told South Tahoe Now that Blaine’s bail was originally set at $2,017,500 due to the large quantity of recovered marijuana. He was released pending further investigation and Reading posted bail.