A 32-year-old man from Kelso faces accusations of illegal firearm possession after Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of trespassing in Vader Tuesday.
Kyle J. Mason was previously convicted of child assault in Nevada in 2017, according to court documents.
He’s now charged with one count each of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines, and possession of a controlled substance, a gross misdemeanor.
Mason made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Wednesday.
According to court documents, deputies responded to the trespassing call and drove to a residence on state Route 506, where they saw a vehicle occupied by Mason and another man.
As they spoke to the men, deputies reportedly noticed two firearms inside the vehicle.
Mason allegedly told the deputies that one of the guns “was an air rifle and the other belonged to his stepfather,” according to court documents.
“Mason admitted to being a convicted felon from Nevada and stated he knew he was not allowed to possess firearms,” court documents state.
One of the deputies reportedly removed the round of ammunition from the rifle’s chamber.
The deputies arrested and searched Mason, finding “a crystalline substance that field-tested positive as methamphetamine,” according to court documents.
Mason allegedly admitted the substance was methamphetamine.
During the preliminary hearing, Judge Paul Strophy set bail at $5,000 cash or bond, citing Mason’s out-of-state history combined with the current allegations.
According to court documents, Mason has misdemeanor convictions in Washington for third-degree driving with a suspended license, third-degree theft and possession of a controlled substance.
Mason has no in-state felony convictions, but does have the conviction in Nevada.
An arraignment was scheduled for Nov. 6. Joshua House is assigned to represent Mason.
