Gun Shop Owner Files To Change His Plea In Smuggling Case

A Chaparral gun-shop owner who pleaded guilty as part of a gun smuggling ring out of Columbus, N.M., is changing his plea.

Ian Garland, who pleaded guilty to seven charges in July of this year, filed a motion to withdraw that plea.

Garland owned a gun shop in Chaparral allegedly connected to a ring of people smuggling guns to Mexico.

Garland and 13 others entered plea agreements with the court. Garland pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and six counts of making false statements in the acquisition of firearms.

According to the motion filed in court Friday, Garland “struggled mightily with the issue of whether he should have known that the co-defendants were purchasing these weapons in order to ship them to Mexico.”

The motion also indicates Garland felt “he was pressured into lying to himself and pleading guilty.”

As it stands, Garland faces up to 35 years in prison. The court has not decided whether to accept Garland’s plea withdrawal.

KVIA left messages for Garland’s lawyer but has not received any response.