Family stays jailed in gunrunning case

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) -  

A federal judge denied Tuesday the supervised release for three members of a New Mexico family accused of smuggling guns to Mexican cartel members.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Gregory Wormuth made the ruling against Rick Reese, 55, his wife, Terri Reese, 48, and their 24-year-old son Ryin Reese. But the judge left open the possibility that their 19-year-old son, Remington Reese, could be released to his grandparents under a $10,000 bond.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports the U.S. Attorney's Office argued in the detention hearing that if released, the Resse family would likely retreat to their 400-acre plot of land in the mountains of Hillsboro and refuse to come out.

Documents filed to argue for a continued detention described the Reeses as "dirty gun dealer(s) who, blinded by greed, knowingly supplied the Mexican Cartels" and "operated with no concern for the international consequences of their actions, and the fact that they were furthering murder and violence at epic levels in Mexico."

But Rick Reese's attorney, Jess Lilley, said prosecutors were wrongly trying to portray her client as anti-government and someone who would "run up in the hills and shoot people, which couldn't be further from the truth."

About 20 family members and other supporters of the Reese family from Las Cruces, Silver City and Deming sat in the audience during Tuesday's hearing, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.

Rick Reese, the owner and operator of New Deal Shooting Sports in Deming, his wife and sons were arrested last month in nearby Las Cruces, where they were opening a new shop, New Deal Shooting Sports II, according to U.S. Attorney Ken Gonzales' office.

A 30-count indictment accuses the family of conspiracy, money laundering, making false statements and illegally exporting firearms into Mexico.

All four have pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors said that between April 2010 and July 2011, the family sold weapons favored by Mexican cartels to undercover agents. Prosecutors also said the family made false statements on firearms purchasing forms and laundered the proceeds.

U.S. Attorney's Office has moved to hold off on Remington Reese's release pending an appeal of the release order.

No date for the appeal has been set.

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Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News