Richard G. Dinwiddie, 57, of Cliff, N.M., is locked up and not going anywhere soon — a federal magistrate in Las Cruces ordered him detained Tuesday, ruling he’s too dangerous to release while awaiting trial on federal firearms charges.
Dinwiddie, a self-admitted methamphetamine user for the past two years, was arrested Feb. 6, 2018, after federal and local agents raided his Grant County home. The raid, executed under a federal search warrant on Feb. 5, uncovered 6.2 grams of meth, 64.6 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, six firearms, and nearly 1,000 rounds of assorted ammunition.
Charged in a criminal complaint filed Feb. 7, 2018, with being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms and ammunition — a felony under federal law — Dinwiddie appeared in federal court Feb. 12 for his initial hearing. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing, meaning he won’t challenge probable cause for the charges at this stage.
Agents from the FBI’s Las Cruces office led the investigation, alongside the New Mexico State Police, Catron County Sheriff’s Office, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and Silver City Police Department. The coordinated takedown highlights growing inter-agency efforts to target armed drug users in rural Southwest communities.
If convicted, Dinwiddie faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors stress the danger posed by individuals actively using drugs while stockpiling weapons — a combination that federal law strictly prohibits.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office. Charges remain pending; Dinwiddie is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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