CHEYENNE — Already facing serious federal charges for allegedly carrying 18,000 rounds of ammunition through Wyoming, Ricardo Paez-Quinones, 35, dug himself into an even deeper hole on Friday.
Paez-Quinones was a no-show for his bond hearing on Friday morning in U.S. District Court, leading Judge Alan Johnson to put out a bench warrant for his arrest.
Johnson suspected that the topic of his bond was what led Paez-Quinones to avoid coming to court, leading him to engage “in some form of self-help.”
“We can receive an explanation for that at a later time,” Johnson remarked.
Paez-Quinones is an illegal immigrant from Mexico whose fingerprints match an individual already deported from America in 2012 and 2014.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Cook, of Wyoming, argued in a motion last month that Paez-Quinones’ actions indicate that he’s contributing to drug cartel operations.
How Did We Get Here?
Last month, U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Scott Klosterman set Paez-Quinones’ bond at $20,000, unsecured – meaning Paez-Quinones could get out of jail without having to post the money up front.
He was then released, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Wyoming confirmed.
The magistrate ordered Paez-Quinones, who reported a home address out of Colorado, to appear for court in Cheyenne on May 27.
Shortly after, Cook filed a motion urging the case judge to overturn the magistrate’s bond arrangement, which resulted in Paez-Quinones’ release. The prosecutor urged the judge to bring Paez-Quinones back to jail to be detained while he awaits trial.
Paez-Quinones could face up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and/or deportation if convicted.
A grand jury indictment was filed against him on March 20.
According to an evidentiary affidavit, a Carbon County Sheriff’s Office deputy and K-9 officer pulled him over on March 12, with the dog alerting to the scent of drugs in the vehicle.
Investigators then searched the vehicle and found 36 boxes of 500 rounds of high-caliber ammunition each, and some cocaine, the document says.
The ammunition boxes bore the name “Precision Made Cartridges” and the label indicated the caliber was 7.62×51 NATO and centerfire rifle ammunition, the affidavit adds.
Investigators also found large amounts of cash, says the document, and Paez-Quinones admitted to using cocaine that same day.
Plays Hooky
On Friday, Cook requested a bench warrant be issued for Paez-Quinones’ arrest.
His public defender David Weiss did not oppose Cook’s motion on Friday.
“I have no information that my client is late,” Weiss said.
When asked by Cowboy State Daily if he’s had any contact with his client, Weiss declined to comment.
A report on Paez-Quinones says that the majority of his family lives in Mexico, though he lives with some of his immediate family in Colorado, where he has lived and worked for about three years.
