Released on second plea deal, Taos man arrested again
A Taos man granted a plea deal earlier this year for his role in the 2017 burglary of SMD Zombie Tactical gun store was arrested on a warrant June 8, two months into an 18-month period of supervised probation.
Taos Adult Probation and Parole Officer Gabriel Martinez arrested Brandon Ackaret, 29, on a warrant out of Santa Fe County, where Ackaret was charged March 21 with battery upon a peace officer, resisting, evading or obstructing an officer and use or possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Santa Fe Magistrate Court, Lt. Sean Strahon of the Santa Fe Police Department was attending a class at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center after 1 p.m. March 21 when he spotted Ackaret and a woman smoking marijuana outside.
Strahon said he approached Ackaret and asked him what he was doing. The 29-year-old allegedly responded that he was “smoking pot.” When Strahon asked for his identification, Ackaret started to walk away, the complaint states. Strahon started to place Ackaret under arrest when the Taos man allegedly punched the lieutenant in the face.
A supporting officer arrived and assisted in placing Ackaret under arrest.
While his new case was still being processed, Ackaret and a codefendant, 44-year-old Andrea Lukes, accepted plea deals through Taos District Court related to the theft of more than a dozen firearms from local Taos gun store, SMD Zombie Tactical, located on Paseo del Pueblo Sur.
The agreements, struck with the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, dismissed or conditionally discharged nearly all of the half-dozen charges filed against each defendant, including several felonies.
A few weeks later, Ackaret accepted a second plea agreement for the case in Santa Fe, pleading guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. The battery charge, a fourth-degree felony, was dropped.
In exchange, Ackaret agreed he would pay fines, write a letter of apology to Strahon and would appear for future hearings in the case.
After Ackaret failed to pay, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest June 1.