News release from the Newport PD. On 03/16/2014, at approximately 1:30 a.m., a Newport Police Officer made contact with a male subject walking through a residential area. The subject, later identified as Nicholas James Thomas, age 29 of Cobb, California, provided the Officer with several fictitious names, and could not articulate why he was in the area. Thomas consented to a search of his person, which revealed drugs and drug paraphernalia. As the Officer attempted to serve Thomas with a citation for the drug possession, Thomas continued to provide the Officer with additional fictitious names, many of which he was unable to spell correctly. Thomas was taken into custody for Giving False Information to Police. He was transported to the Lincoln County Jail. At the jail, using the AFIS fingerprint identification system, officers were able to positively identify Thomas. It was discovered Thomas had three felony warrants for his arrest from Lake County, California. These warrants were for Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Battery with Serious Injury, and Assault with Great Bodily Injury. Thomas was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail for Giving False Information to Police, and Fugitive from Another State.