SCOTTSBLUFF -- A Torrington, Wyo., man caught with a loaded handgun and cocaine at the Scotts Bluff County Fair in 2024 was sentenced to probation.

Reginald Smith, 30, pleaded no contest in May to charges of attempted possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and felony possession of cocaine.

On Wednesday, May 14, Scotts Bluff County District Judge Leo Dobrovolny sentenced Smith to two years of probation. His sentence will begin June 10, 2025.

He was arrested Aug. 1, 2024 at the Scotts Bluff County Fairgrounds. Scotts Bluff County deputies working security at the fair recognized Smith entering the beer garden area. Deputies had previously investigated an assault case involving threats with a firearm in May, and Smith had been identified as a suspect. A warrant for his arrest was issued July 26.

Deputies approached Smith and asked for identification. After confirming his identity, they informed him he was under arrest. Smith immediately fled. Two unarmed fair security guards helped slow him down, and a deputy deployed a Taser, bringing Smith to the ground at which time he was taken into custody.

Deputies found a loaded 9 mm handgun in his waistband and several packages of suspected cocaine on him. After being medically cleared for minor injuries, Smith was booked into the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center on $100,000 bond, according to court records.

At the time of his arrest, Smith had a warrant and faced the following pending charges: Assault causing bodily injury (misdemeanor), Terroristic threats (felony), Possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (felony) and Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (felony).