SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Cody Bass was arraigned on May 20 in El Dorado County Superior Court on misdemeanor charges stemming from his arrest on September 25, 2021. Bass, a South Lake Tahoe city councilman, was driving his Tesla back into the Tahoe Basin when the California Highway Patrol (CHP) saw his car parked near Twin Bridges at 2:30 a.m. with Bass asleep behind the wheel.
The CHP report said the drugs they found in Bass’s possession were “white powder resembling cocaine,” and “crystalline substance resembling methamphetamine.” Since his arrest Bass has denied that the drugs found in his vehicle were cocaine and methamphetamine.
Due to a backlog, the Department of Justice took a few months to get results back on the items found in Bass’s possession. The results show Bass had Ketamine and MDMA, also known as Molly or Ecstasy, both of which are misdemeanor charges.
Bass said both of the drugs he had are used for therapy.
He entered a not guilty plea in court and told South Tahoe Now he was going to fight the DUI charge, the open container of cannabis charge, as well as possession of a drug prescribed for him.
On October 1, 2021, Bass pleaded no contest to a violation of Tax Code 19706 after a six-year-long court battle. That code states it’s a crime to willfully fail to file any return or to supply any information with the intent to evade any tax imposed.
At that sentencing, Bass was placed on probation and had to pay a fine and pay his taxes, but it came a week after the CHP arrest. Due to probation coming after the September 25 arrest, the court today removed the charge of violation of probation from the newer charges.
The next court date for Bass will be on July 15 at 8:30 a.m.