Reno, Nevada – In a surprising turn of events, former Washoe County Sheriff’s sergeant Dennis Carry pleaded guilty to three out of seven felonies during a settlement hearing today. The plea agreement, if accepted, will see Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks dropping the remaining four charges upon sentencing.

The three counts Carry is pleading guilty to include forgery, bigamy, and offering false evidence. According to the terms of the plea deal, each of these charges could potentially carry a four-year prison sentence. However, he is expected to avoid prison time for the remaining charges, which include two counts of burglary, forgery, and perjury.

Carry, who was initially scheduled for a month-long trial early next year, faced charges after an investigation by the Reno Police Department. The investigation was sparked by a tip suggesting that Carry had forged a marriage document and unlawfully entered the Washoe County Courthouse to commit the forgery. The motive behind these actions was to create the illusion of divorcing his first wife, while being concurrently married to his second wife—a federal judge.

In the guilty plea memorandum submitted during the hearing, Carry confessed, stating, “I did willfully have two spouses at one time, knowing that the former spouse was still alive, and did cohabitate with the second spouse in the State of Nevada after having been married to the second spouse outside of the state.”

Carry, who had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges earlier this year, now awaits sentencing based on the plea agreement. The sudden shift from a month-long trial to a guilty plea has surprised many, raising questions about the details that led to this unexpected resolution.

Credits: This is Reno