The Bridgehampton man charged with illegally carrying a loaded Glock and two high-capacity magazines on Main Street in East Hampton Village pleaded not guilty before Suffolk County Justice Richard Ambro on Thursday.
Alexis Ramirez-Reyes, 19, appeared with his attorney, Jeremy Mis of Legal Aid, for his arraignment on three felony firearms charges and two misdemeanor charges related to resisting arrest during the Sept. 5 incident.
The highest-level charge — second-degree criminal possession of a weapon — is a class-C felony which stems from Mr. Ramirez-Reyes reaching for a firearm while officers were placing him under arrest, police allege.
When Mr. Ramirez-Reyes was pulled over for "inadequate tail lamps" and having an "obstructed view," police officers reportedly noticed an "AR-15 style rifle" on the floor behind the passenger seat, which was later determined to be an Airsoft gun.
After ordering Mr. Ramirez-Reyes to leave the vehicle, an officer stated, he tensed up and held the steering wheel. A police sergeant reportedly arrived on scene, and when Mr. Ramirez-Reyes "refused" to exit the vehicle again, the officers "grabbed" his hands and "pulled him" onto the ground.
When officers attempted to handcuff Mr. Ramirez-Reyes, he reached for a Glock 19 in his waistband, which had a live 9-millimeter round loaded, police allege.
In court Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Maria Troulakis argued that bail for Mr. Ramirez-Reyes should be set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 insurance bond due to the nature of the charge, despite acknowledging that Mr. Ramirez-Reyes does not have any previous criminal convictions.
Mr. Ramirez-Reyes is a lifelong Suffolk County resident with no prior criminal history or failures to appear in court, Mr. Mis argued. If released, he continued, Mr. Ramirez-Reyes could return to his home in Bridgehampton.
"We would consent to Mr. Ramirez being placed on G.P.S. [monitoring]," Mr. Mis argued before Justice Ambro.
The judge then asked Mr. Mis about a bail amount that Mr. Ramirez-Reyes could potentially meet to secure his release. His client would have difficulty making any number, Mr. Mis said, and his family was unable to be reached on the topic.
Eventually Justice Ambro set bail at $5,000 cash, $10,000 insurance bond, or $20,000 partially secured bond.
Justice Ambro ordered Mr. Ramirez-Reyes, who is currently being held at the county jail in Yaphank, to return on Sept. 30.