Machete man pleads guilty

A Carson City man who held two men and a woman hostage with a machete faces one to six years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to felony false imprisonment.

Nathan Alan Sabin, 29, forced the victims to lie down Sept. 10 at a home at 1910 North Fall St. After his arrest, during which he had to be convinced to put down the machete, Sabin said he was upset about alleged drug activity at his former home.

The plea negotiation reduces Sabin's charges. He was originally arrested for suspicion of three counts of false imprisonment and two charges of battery with a deadly weapon. And he could have faced 38 years in prison if convicted on those charges.

Reports indicate he went after one of the victims with a knife, causing a minor injury and jumped on another victim's head. Conflicting accounts of the early-morning fracas put the length of the encounter at between 20 and 45 minutes.

When deputies arrived at the residence responding to a 911 call, Sabin had left and was tracked down at a home at 3380 Fall St.

A search of the 1910 North Fall St. home revealed suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. A 31-year-old woman, who arrived home after the assault, was also arrested on charges of felony methamphetamine possession.

At the arraignment Nov. 21 where Sabin pleaded innocent to the original charges, he asked to be released to a drug treatment program.

The request was denied by District Judge Bill Maddox because of the seriousness of the charges. He remains in jail in lieu of $30,000 bail. Sabin was scheduled to start trial Tuesday.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 30.

One of the victims said Sabin's motivation was jealousy over a girl that was not present during the attack.

"I had nightmares profusely every night because of this," she said, noting that she has since moved out. "This was not about drugs."